


Tales of the Bounty Hunter

by Sakoi



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: AI Jack, Action, Alcohol, Anger, Betrayal, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Rhys, During the events of Borderlands 3, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Gun Violence, Handsome Jack - Freeform, Jack being Jack, Mentions the Vault Hunters (Borderlands), Obsession, One-Sided Love, Pain, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reader has a echo eye, Reader-Insert, Rhys Strongfork, Rhys is a bad guy, Rhys is a goofball, Slow Burn, Swearing, Time Skips, Torture, Violence, canon-divergent AU, non-consensual fluff, reader is a badass, reader is a bounty hunter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:46:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 35,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26921611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakoi/pseuds/Sakoi
Summary: The galaxy sure is a big mess right now. Psychos littered the galaxy leaving you, a veteran bounty hunter, swamped in requests to help fight against them. Operating on Pandora, you were becoming bored of the same old contracts when you received a message from the Atlas Corporation to come to Promethea.Little did you know the new trials that awaited you there.SPOILERS: This takes place during the events of Borderlands 3
Relationships: Handsome Jack (Borderlands)/Reader, Rhys (Borderlands)/Reader
Comments: 16
Kudos: 52





	1. The Bounty Hunter

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS: This story takes place shortly after the Vault Hunters of Borderlands 3 defeat Katagawa Jr. and has references to the final boss battles of the game.
> 
> You are a veteran bounty hunter, one of the most experienced on Pandora. In the past you did not have allegiance to Hyperion or the Crimson Raiders, only accepting any job worth your time for cash. You are outfitted with an older echo eye and your favorite choice of weapon is your Dahl SMG. 
> 
> [F/C] = Favorite color  
> [Y/N] = Your name

The galaxy sure is a big mess right now. Retrieving your combat knife from the back of some poor psycho’s thick skull, you surveyed the surrounding encampment with your [F/C] ECHO eye. Confirming that the area was successfully cleared of all remaining bandits before your scan started to fizzle and glitch.

“Ugh, I really need to get a replacement one of these days.” You stated aloud, lightly tapping on your eye.

Wiping the blood off the blade's edge, you holster your Dahl SMG and exchange your knife for a remote ECHO Unit. The screen lights up with dozens of new contract notifications you had missed, all waiting for a bounty hunter like yourself to accept. It didn’t matter how many contracts you completed, there always seem to be 10 more that would pop-up in its place. At first you thought business was just booming with all the C.O.V. bandits infesting the galaxy and that you can make a ton of cash but over time they all became tedious and mundane. Everyone had the same sob story; bandits were invading their lands, revenge killing for someone they lost, or maybe they were just looking for someone to escort them during their travels. A heavy sigh left your lips as you scroll down to your current contract and send your notification that the job was complete. 

“I need a break” you exclaim but as you went to turn off your device, it beeped, notifying you of a new notification. 

_Bounty Hunter: [Y/N]_

_We are in need of your services on the planet of Promethea with the eradication of the remaining Maliwan military and C.O.V bandits still present after the recent Crimson Raider’s operations._

_Payment will be provided per mission with transport and lodging to be arranged with your acceptance of the contract._

_\- Atlas Corporation_

Atlas. Now there is a name you haven’t heard in a while. You did receive news awhile back that the company was making a comeback after their dissolvement a few years ago but never thought they would be someone who would reach out to you personally. You ponder the thought, maybe getting off Pandora for a bit would bring a little bit of excitement back and on the plus side, you can witness what this new Atlas Corporation had to offer first hand. 

Sending a confirmation notice back, you receive a message instantly of coordinates just north of the civilization of Old Haven where they will have a ship waiting for your arrival. From your current location, you noted that it was at least a days’ worth of travel by technical vehicle and it was likely you would be interrupted by roaming bandits looking for easy prey. 

You pivot in place, exiting the bandit camp back to your vehicle parked outside. It was gonna be a long drive.

\--

The drive was mostly uneventful, thankfully. You drove throughout the night with only a few bandit technicals trying to intercept but you managed to out maneuver them with relative ease. Even piloting one to steer off a sharp cliff resulting in a large fireball explosion as you grinned looking back in the rear-view mirror. Coming to a stop, you hoped out of the vehicle, stretching your sore muscles and yawning from the lack of sleep. 

Looking around the area, you found yourself surrounded by the familiar barren desert view with no signs of any life, let alone a drop ship. Even with your ECHO eye, it was not detecting any sort of noticeable activity in the area. 

‘Maybe I got the wrong location? or maybe I am early?’ you questioned reaching back into your technical for your ECHO Unit. 

A large _WHOOSH_ noise erupted behind you as you spinned around with your SMG drawn. Before you, the landscape shifted as a moderately sized ship de-cloaked as if it appeared out of thin air. Still with your gun dawn, you watched as a side door opened revealing a person dressed head-to-toe in red and black militant armour. 

“[Y/N]?”

“Yah, who is asking?”

“I am here on behalf of Atlas” he salutes you, noticing he is unarmed. “I am to escort you to the HQ on Promethea”

You relax from his introduction and holster your gun, grabbing your remaining gear from the technical, you head towards the masked soldier. Stepping closer to the ship's entrance, you stood in wonder as the main cabin was fairly spacious inside, consisting of a few luxurious looking seats, an extended table and a captain's chair up front. Definitely an upgrade from the few military ships you have been on. The sound of someone clearing their throat beside you brought you back from your daze.

“If you are ready, we can depart”

“Ah yeah, that's fine” dropping your gear beside one of the chairs, taking a seat. Wow this chair was way more comfy than it needed to be, you thought. The soldier moved to the front of the cabin, sitting in the captain's chair, pressing all sorts of buttons and dials as the ship came to life and started to take off the planet’s surface. As you ascended into the stars, you looked back on Pandora. Everything seemed so small from up here.

“So, you got a name soldier?” you asked

“Liam, Infantry unit for the Crimson Lance”

“Well Liam, I am going to have a rest. Just wake me up when we are getting close alright?”

“Aye sir” 

You raise an eyebrow at him for his formal answers but don't really question it. The Crimson Lance though? You thought they were disbanded back when the original Atlas company died. I guess the new Atlas really has grown for it to resurrect its own military force. Leaning back, you sank farther into the chair and drifted off into some much needed rest. 

\--

“Sir?” 

You hear a small noise as you begin to wake. Giving a low growl, you slightly roll over in your resting position.

“Sir, we are about to descend into Promethea.”

Opening your eyes, you can see Liam is now standing in front of you waiting patiently. You noticed that he was staying a few feet away in case you attacked upon waking. Smart man.

“Yah yah, I’m up” you strained as you stretched in the chair “and you can drop the sir, I am a bounty hunter not a military commander.” You looked at him with an unassuming stare as he slightly recoils but quickly regain his composure. 

“Yes s...ah… [Y/N]” he stuttered, “I will be bring us down shortly and will escort you to Atlas HQ for your debriefing”

You never liked the military, too high strung for your liking but at least Liam seemed alright for being a soldier. As the ship began its descent into the atmosphere, you noticed the smoke and red hues that filled the horizon. Making out the city skyline, you can see all the devastation and carnage brought on by the recent conflicts. Buildings severely damaged or collapsed as debris littered the city streets making it near impossible to travel safely. 

“Well this city has seen better days,” you whisper looking over the landscape. 

You can’t say this is much better than Pandora at this point, just another broken planet laid to ruin. The craft continued to descend until it landed on a pad extended out onto a lake. Grabbing your gear and exiting the ship you are greeted by a courtyard filled with military barricades and supplies, surrounded by heavy duty auto-turrets and an enormous red building that you could swear was reaching into space. In the distance, explosions and gunfire could be heard ringing out as conflicts still sparked in the city limits. 

“This way, please.” Liam said as he walked down into the courtyard.

You followed a few steps behind but as you approached the building, you spied other military-garbed individuals sitting on mounted turrets. They all kept a watchful eye on you as you entered with Liam, none of them stopping you. Arriving at a large control room, a few more soldiers can be spotted manning different consoles, they don’t pay any attention to your presence but one station catches your eye that is covered in blood with a mop and bucket. Shrugging, you continue to follow Liam out of the room into a cylindrical shaped elevator. He pressed a button, closing the glass doors as the lift began to ascend. You can see down into an interior courtyard as floor upon floor begins to fly past your vision. Good thing you were not afraid of heights because man this tower was tall, you thought. 

When the doors reopened, Liam led you down a corridor, past a small reception, a few lounge areas and a full floor-to-ceiling aquarium? You peered into the glass to see an arrangement of coral and rock formations with a few happy fish swimming around without a care in the world. You ponder at who in their right mind puts an aquarium of this scale on top of a gigantic skyscraper when you hear Liam call out. 

“Sir, I have returned with the bounty hunter, [Y/N].” 

“Fantastic Liam,” a male voice states as he stood up from behind his desk, “I knew I picked the right man for the job.”

Liam turned to you and gave you a quick nod before exiting back the way you came. The man standing before you now had a lean built figure and was dressed in casual business attire. You noted that his right arm was mechanical and that he also contained an ECHO eye on his left. His brown hair was slicked back nicely but the more you looked at him the more you found you kept staring at his mustache. 

“Welcome to Atlas [Y/N], you came highly recommended you know? I am so glad you accepted our contract.” swinging his arms wide as if he was gesturing to everything around you. 

“Ah...thanks? and you are?” 

“Rhys! CEO of the Atlas Corporation.” He exclaimed loudly with a smile, “I am sure you have heard of my exploits in restoring Atlas back to its former glory.” 

“Can’t say I have, sorry. So what is this with Maliwan and C.O.V. occupation?”

You can see Rhys’s shoulders visibly sink as he sighs. Running his hand through his hair he turns away towards the windows overviewing the city skyline.

“Right, so here is the deal. We recently had a big victory against the head of Maliwan's Mergers and Acquisitions. In which, his military personnel including bandits are still occupying various points around the city. I am hiring you to help stamp out the remaining forces.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, as you said I am highly recommended,” you give a smug look folding your arms in front of you, “plus you said that you are providing lodging for my stay on Promethea?”

“That’s right. As long as you continue to help Atlas, I will ensure you have everything you need. Still up for the job?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Amazing.” Turning back he reaches for a communication device. “Lorelei, can you please come to my office.”

After a few minutes, you can hear the sound of the elevator chime and a set of footsteps heading in your direction. Turning around you can see a woman with gradient neon hair enter, sporting a more battle ready gear similar to your own. 

“Slag me! Your that bounty hunter Zer0 was telling us about,” she exclaimed

Zer0. Why did that name sound familiar? 

“Ah yes,” Rhys cleared his throat, “ [Y/N], this is Lorelei. She will be your contact for the various jobs and will show you to your quarters. Good luck”

Turning back to Rhys, you gave him a quick smile and nodded. You see Rhys slightly shift in his position, breaking eye contact with you, did his face turn a little flush? Facing Lorelei, you both exited the CEO’s office and made your way into the elevator. She showed you around the building, where the armoury is if you are in need of supplies and how to access your new living quarters. It was a modest room with some basic furniture like a bed, coffee table and a small couch. Off to the right there was a door leading into an adjusted bathroom with the basic amenities.

“It’s not much but I can’t image it being any worse than what you would find on Pandora.”

“You got that right,” you chuckled in response, “this will work fine. Been awhile since I slept in a proper bed”

“Right on. Man, I could really go for a coffee right now. Want to join me?”

You shrug, why not, not like you were gonna be sleeping any time soon.

\--

Lorelei brought you to a coffeehouse called ‘Rise and Grind’, telling you all about how it is her favorite spot in the city. You each sat down with a cup of coffee as she brought you up to speed on everything to do with Atlas, from Rhys taking over the company, to the Maliwan attacks and the inevitable fall of Katagawa Jr. by a team of Vault Hunters from the Crimson Raiders. 

“Man, if I didn’t see the carnage for myself I would have never believed you. This place is a mess.”

“Sure is,” Lorelei spun on her chair, facing out into the broken street, “but things are only going to get better from here. With Katagawa out of the picture we can finally take back the city. With your help of course.”

You gave her a reassuring nod. “I’ll see it done.”

“Good. Well I better get back. Need to make sure the squads didn’t break anything while I was away. I will contact you tomorrow with the list of tasks alright?”

“Sounds good.” 

Lorelei left you alone as you finished your coffee. Seems this planet has really gone through a lot in the last while. Definitely a lot more action than the bandit uprising on Pandora, leaving you with a feeling that things were about to get interesting. 

\--

The next morning you awake in your new living quarters. You get up and ready yourself in the bathroom as your ECHO eye begins to twitch. You hear your ECHO device ring in the bedroom and you go to answer. 

“Rise and shine. You ready to kill some filthy Maliwan?” Lorelei exclaimed.

“Yep, just tell me where to aim.” 

“Excellent, I am giving you a list of coordinates to clear out. Let me know when you're done and we can meet up.”

Hanging up, you see a new notification with a list of 5 different coordinates located all around the Meridian Metroplex. Rechecking your supplies, you head out the Atlas HQ ready to hunt.

Most of the locations Lorelei sent you on were small groupings of Maliwan resistance still lingering around. They were easy to clean up but you had a few close calls with some of their elemental guns, noting that you will have to patch a few new holes in your shirt when you get back to your quarters. By the time you had successfully cleared out all 5 locations it was about mid afternoon, as you shoulder your SMG and ECHO'd Lorelei.

“Hey Lorelei, all those locations are now cleared.”

“Really? Wow you did those a lot faster than I thought. Impressive.” 

You smirked. It's been awhile since you met someone that didn’t know of your bounty hunting talents.

“Meeting me back up at Rise and Grind will yah? I bet you're hungry and I’ve been itchin' for a coffee.” Lorelei said, finishing the call.

Heading back to the coffeehouse, Lorelei flags you down as she was already half through her cup.

“Well looks like you got out unscathed for the most part, aside from a few additions,” she points to the new holes in your shirt. 

“Yah I’ll have to get a few new shirts from the armoury. Not used to my enemies having elemental fire power.”

Lorelei chuckled, “Yah it’s a pain in the ass.”

You take a seat beside her and order a sandwich and coffee from the attending service bot. Maybe this place isn’t so bad, at least you have a bed and good food to eat for once. After a few moments you looked over at Lorelei.

“Hey back in Rhys’s office, you mentioned a guy named Zer0. Who is that?”

She looked at you puzzled, “You don’t know Zer0?”

You shake your head. “It sounds familiar but I can’t see to remember much about them.”

“Well, Zer0 is an ex-Vault Hunter. He said he worked with the Crimson Raiders for a time back when Handsome Jack was still kicking around. Nowadays he has been working alongside Rhys. They seem to have some sort of history.” 

Looking down at her coffee she continues.

“I guess the best way to recognize him is that he wears an all black suit and uses emoticons to express himself. He also tends to talk in haikus a lot.”

With that, it was like a light bulb just exploded in your brain. You had met Zer0 a few times on Pandora, back when Handsome Jack was still on his conquest to bring order to the planet. You even teamed up with him on various missions to dismantle some stronger psycho camps that you couldn’t handle alone. But that was so long ago, you had completely forgotten all about him until Lorelei gave you his description.

“Wow, I guess time flies by. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”

“Yah Zer0 told Rhys about your work on Pandora and recommended your help with regaining control of the city. If anything is based on your work today we should have it back in no time.” 

She raises her arm out towards you giving you a cheeky smile. You grasped her hand with your own, giving it a tight squeeze of strength. You both stared intensely at each other, eyeing the other one up until you both cracked, laughing at each other while everyone else around stares.

\-- 

As the days went on, Lorelei continued to send you on missions into the city. Some easier than others but for the most part you had no troubles with completing the tasks. You awoke from your bed ready to start a new day of hunting when your ECHO Unit rang. 

“Wakey wakey, we got a big job today. Come find me in the lobby so we can go meet up with Rhys.”

You huffed as you got yourself ready in your usual battle attire and loaded yourself up with all the gear you will need. Heading downstairs, Lorelei is already waiting for you in front of the elevator to Rhys’s office. She too looked like she was ready to go out and kick some ass. 

“There you are. Come on, we need to meet up with Rhys before we can head out.” 

You hurried your steps a little to catch up as you both rode the elevator back up to the top. Walking into Rhys’s office you can see him working on various weapon prototypes, as his office was scattered with different blueprints and parts. Not noticing your presence at all, Lorelei gives a quick cough that brought Rhys's attention up.

“Oh, you're already here? Is it morning?...It's morning.” 

You can see Rhys looks a little disheveled since last time you saw him. His hair had small baby bangs that poke out front and he had heavy dark circles under his eyes. Straightening up his tie and brushing his hair back he stood tall as not to arouse suspicion that he had been there all night. You rolled your eyes at the attempt as Lorelei placed her hands on her hips.

“Boss, we talked about this. You can’t stay up all night working. You need to get some sleep. When was the last time you ate?”

“Well you see... I… ah” Rhys stammered as you can see Lorelei begin to glare at him.

“Let’s not worry about that for the meantime. You guys have a working mission to do right? It’s an important day after all and you're gonna need all the time you can get.” He smiled trying to hide his tiredness. You crossed your arms as he slouched knowing that there was no way he was going to win against you two. 

“Well let me cut to the chase and then I will look at getting some food,” he blurted out, making Lorelei relax a little. “There is a Maliwan Weapons Depot located on the south-west side of the city still being occupied. Based on [Y/N] performance with the previous tasks it shouldn’t be a big deal but we expect there to be a larger military presence than your previous missions. You will be taking Lorelei and squadron of Crimson Lance to help assist you.” 

You eyed up Rhys as he said this. It is true that you probably will need some help to clear out such a large outpost but it surprised you that he was keeping tabs on your previous progress. Usually CEO’s don’t take an interest in you after you are hired, as long as the job gets done they don't care about your methods. You give a quick shrug as you see Rhys visibly exhale like he was holding in his breath. You wondered if he was always like this or if it was just an act to look less intimidating. You turn towards the elevator with Lorelei when you hear Rhys stutter.

“Ah [Y/N] can I talk to you for a minute before you leave?”

Looking back at Lorelei, she shrugged as she continued to walk towards the elevator. Leaving you alone with Rhys. 

“You know, I’ve been having Lorelei keep me informed on your missions and I got to say I am quite impressed.” He took a few steps toward you, skirting around the cluttered office and once again straightening his attire. As he approached you, he laid his mechanical hand on your shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. You looked at him quizzically but made no attempts to move.

“You've been doing good work out there, and I’m glad to have you on our side. Once this mission is over maybe you and I can connect. You know, get to know each other more.” 

You raise an eyebrow at him not sure really how to respond. He gave you a slight smile, although he was technically your employer you still felt uneasy about the whole thing. Interacting with people was never your strong suit and the only reason you got along with Lorelei so well was because you could share interesting battle stories to each other. 

“I guess that can be arranged,” mentally slapping yourself for agreeing so quickly.

“Great, I will see you later on then.” Rhys uttered, letting go of your shoulder as he gave you a quick wave before turning his attention back to his prototypes. You can feel it was a little sore from where his grip was but you quickly turn to catch up with your temporary team mate waiting at the end of the hall. 

\--

As you approached the weapons depot, Lorelei and yourself split the men into two teams. Your team was in charge of sieging the high-ground plaza and removing any turret threats while Lorelei’s team would secure the lower courtyard and take the brunt of the forces. Taking a deep breath, you turn to Lorelei giving her a nod. She gives you a wicked grin in return as she pulls out two grenades and enters the main courtyard. A set of explosions were set off as you sprinted up the stairs, opening fire to any enemies that were unlucky to be in your crosshair. As you continue to barrage the high-ground plaza, you can hear gun fire all around you and the sound of people screaming in both thrill and pain. The earth shook violently as another set of explosions erupted in the main yard, but nothing seemed to hinder your steps. Reloading your SMG you turn and notice sets of Maliwan troops infiltrating from several entrances. You signal your team to secure those positions and stop the reinforcements while you continue to clear the area. A set of automatic turrets emerged from a nearby wall as you ducked for cover and they opened fire. Picking up a corrosive pistol off a recently deceased trooper you aimed at the turrets, dealing massive damage as they exploded into pieces. Still behind cover, you surveyed the area with your ECHO eye, ascertaining that your team was successfully in control of the plaza. Coming closer to the edge overseeing the courtyard, you pull out a sniper to help finish up the few remaining Maliwan enforcements when a loud _CRACK_ can be heard above you. 

Looking up to the sky, you are blinded by a streak of light heading directly to your position. Jumping back, you find cover just in time as a large impact hits the plaza, sending rubble and debris in all directions. Once the dust subsided, you peer over to see a large metal body unfold into a badass Maliwan Arbalest robot. 

“Oh shit,” you cursed as it turned its form towards you and unleashed a barrage of missiles to your location. Quickly swapping back to your SMG, you dodged out of the way as you sprayed gun fire in its direction. A few Crimson Lance troops behind you began to open fire only for a wave of missiles to land on a few unlucky souls. Clip after clip, you loaded into the bot, moving as necessary as it opened fire back in your direction. Over-time, an audible pop sound signaled that its shields were down and you reached for your borrowed pistol. Moving out of cover to get a better shot, you failed to notice a Maliwan Flash Trooper appeared on your left, shooting you as your shield was destroyed. A flash of pain hit your left side as you turned towards him, landing a nice bullet into his skull as he slumped over dead. You didn’t have time to react as you knew you only had a small window before the Arbalest’s shield would be back online. You slide into position beside the robot, unloading the full corrosive magazine into its body. Luckily your bullets landed on its weak spot as it sputtered in place, collapsing to the ground with a large thud. 

As you stood up, you could hear a loud cheer erupt as Crimson Lance troops cried out in victory. You chuckled to yourself, yep this was a lot more exciting than Pandora. Lorelei was already making her way up the stairs to join you when she called your name. 

“Oh man, that was amazing! You could really give those Vault Hunters a run for their money.” As she drew closer you could see her smile drop. “Oi, you're injured,” rushing to your side she grabbed your left arm.

A wave of pain rushed through you as the adrenaline of the fight began to wear off. Looking down you can see the left side of your jacket was now completely red with blood as a bullet wound was clearly visible. Lorelei ripped off a strip of cloth as she wrapped it around your forearm. 

“This should slow the bleeding but we need to get you back to HQ asap”

You wanted to argue, it was only a single gunshot, you definitely have suffered worse but as you go to open your mouth you suddenly feel light headed and decide to nod instead.

\--

Back at Atlas HQ, you sat on the edge of the bed in the medical ward as one of the attending doctors cleaned up your wounds, finishing up a line of stitches in your left arm. You patiently waited as this wasn’t your first experience with a gunshot wound when you hear the sound of quickening footsteps get closer. The door swung open suddenly revealing Rhys standing there gasping for air as if he had run all the way from his office. 

"Oh god. [Y/N] are you alright? Are you hurt? Of course your hurt." 

You can see him scrunch his face at the realization that you are in the medical bay for a reason. 

"I should have sent more troops with you. I... I should have known Maliwan would pull a stunt like that. Maybe I should have asked Zer0 to go instead." He kept mumbling, his eye glued to the floor.

"Rhys calm down. It's only a bullet wound, it's alright." 

You reach out your right arm trying to signal him to calm down. You felt the doctor give a quick tug on the string before cutting off the excess material and wrapping the area with a bandage. He gave you a quick confirmation of his work completed before heading out the door to attend to the next patient. Hopping off the bed, you adjust your jacket back over your bandaged arm, wincing slightly at the discomfort. Rhys still stood in the doorway, looking down ashamed as if he was the one who pulled the trigger.

“See? Everything is alright. Part of the job really.” You tried your best to comfort him but really didn’t know how. 

“I know, I just don’t like the thought of you being injured.” Rhys stated as you can see him quickly look up realizing he just said that aloud. 

“As your employer of course” he stammered, his face becoming a shade of crimson. 

“Of course.”

“Well I guess if the doc says you're alright, do feel like getting a bite to eat?”

\--

Following Rhys out of the Atlas building, he leads you down the street until you reach a building marked ‘Dynasty Diner’ in bold neon lighting. He explained that they were one of the few restaurants still open in the city and while their food was questionable, it actually was quite tasty. You found a table to sit at while Rhys went over to talk to a guy named Beau and order up some food for each of you. Your outfit was still covered in blood from your assault this morning but nobody around seemed to mind or maybe they all had become unfazed after this war with Maliwan. Rhys sat across from you as he began to ideally chat with you while you waited for your meal, giving you a shy smile here and there.

“So... what's with the mustache?” you inquire.

“Why does everyone keep asking me that? It's my siege mustache.” You giggled as he began to comb his mustache with his fingers. “Even those recent Vault Hunters told me they loved it. But what do you think?”

“Well I can’t say I knew what you looked like without it, but it gives you a really commanding look.”

“Huh, you think so? Well, I guess it absolutely stays then,” he gives you a quick wink. 

A service bot floats toward your table as it delivers two steaming meat burgers. Looking at the burger it looks pretty standard, just really meat and a bun. I wonder why Rhys said it was questionable, best to not ask as you take a bite. As far as tastes go it wasn’t all that bad, the meat was pretty juicy which was primarily the only favoring but it was filling and it was nice to eat something hot for a change. As you finished your meal you looked over at Rhys.

“You're not like other CEOs.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well for starters you actually know the names of some of your soldiers. Plus usually when a company hires me for gigs they don’t usually converse with me unless its to confirm the job is completed or I am pestering them for payment, let alone take me out for dinner”

“Well I ugh…” he stammers, noticing as he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, “You see I was once just a lowly Hyperion worker, back when Helios was still a functioning station. I had always dreamed of becoming the next ‘Handsome Jack’, leading a corporation with lots of people looking up at me.”

He looked into your eyes, his face turning soft as he spoke.

“But when I finally got there I found out quickly that I wasn’t Jack, I wasn't some ruthless tyrant and that I cared about the people around me.”

Reaching out he grabbed your right hand, holding it between both his mechanical and flesh hand. He began to trace small circles into the back of yours as he continued.

“With all the work you have done for me...for Atlas, I really value you as well [Y/N]. I hope you can see that.”

You didn’t really know how to react. It had been a long time since anyone showed you any sort of real friendship or compassion. Rhys seemed like a sweet little goofball and while he hadn't done anything to lose your trust, you had some sort of gut feeling about CEOs that you couldn't shake. 

“Atlas still has a long road ahead of itself to bring back the city but I hope I can still count on you,” he stated.

A lump in your throat catches you off guard. Looking into his eyes you could see that he was generally conveying his feelings to you and that he wanted you to stay. Who knows, maybe this would be the start of a good friendship. Swallowing hard, you tried your best to settle your nerves as you replied back.

“Yah, I’ll be here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. This is my first fanfic I have decided to post so please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> This chapter serves as a introduction so fair warning that it will get darker from here on out.


	2. A Turn for the Worst

It had been about two weeks since you took down the Maliwan Weapons Depo. Rhys had insisted you take a few days off for your injury and to fill the time he had you assist him with various tasks around his office. The work wasn’t thrilling at all, honestly office work is quite dull, but it did give you some time to get to know him more. He was really something different, he was wicked smart when it came to weapon designs and he would try to act really cool around you but his goofball side kept showing up. He even began to tell you stories of his adventure on Pandora and opening a vault, though you couldn’t tell if maybe he was making up parts of it.

Once your injury was healed you went back out into the field, it felt good to be holding your gun again as you cleaned up any Maliwan troops still lingering around, but at the end of each day you found yourself back at Rhys’s office. Sometimes you guys would just idly chat and other days you helped him as he was swamped with paperwork.

At the end of one particular long day, you laid across one of Rhys’s couches. Your muscles were sore from chasing down a Flash Trooper that just kept running from you. A groan leaves your lips as you try to relax. Rhys looked up from his desk before exhaling deeply and moving closer.

“Hey, why don’t we take the night off and do something fun,” he stood in front of you with his hands on his hips.

“Like what?”

“Hummm,” you see him ponder, “What about a movie? I got a decent collection back at my place.”

A movie sounded fun, it had been a long time since you even had time to enjoy one. Sitting up, you rolled your shoulders as you gave him a confirming nod.

“Great! come on,” his face beamed with excitement.

He escorted you to a new floor of the Atlas HQ that contained a single door at the end of the hallway. He placed his hand on a biometric scan as it chimed in approval before the door gracefully opened. The suite was basically what you expected for someone with the title of CEO to have. It was open-concept style with a kitchen and living room decked out in Atlas colored decor. The ceiling was taller than your average place and you could see a hallway that led farther into the apartment. Taking a seat on the living room couch, you saw that it faced a large TV above a fireplace surrounded by what you assumed to be his collection of movies. 

Rhys appeared behind you extending his arm out in front holding a can, taking it you see that it is some sort of Promethea ale. Opening it with a pop, you drink to find it was smooth, refreshing and ice cold, just what you needed to relax with. 

“So you got any requests?” He asked as he placed the remaining pack of ales on the coffee table, taking one for himself.

“I haven’t seen much so anything action based is fine.” 

You can see him stand in front of the collection for a while before selecting one and popping the cartridge into the TV. Taking a seat beside you, he sips from his ale as big bold letters fill the screen; ‘Typhon Deleon and the First Vault’. The movie wasn’t too bad, it was definitely cheesy but it had a lot of over the top action parts which you liked. By the end of the movie, you had already finished all the ales between the two of you as the screen showed the final credits. 

“So what do you think?” he turned towards you.

“Pretty good. Though I don’t think this was really based off a real life event.”

“Maybe not,” he whispered with a small chuckle. You watched as he slowly moved closer to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “You're beautiful.”

“Rhys, are you drunk?” you lifted an eyebrow towards him.

He only hummed in response. His touch sent a small shiver down your body as his face drew closer to yours. Maybe you were a bit tipsy too as your mind felt clouded on which actions to take from his advancements. As he edged closer, you could feel his breath against your skin, being so close felt agonizing into his lips finally met yours. 

They were soft and delicate, fleeting but still passionate. He held you there for a moment before pulling away. You both stared at each other softly until he leaned his forehead against your shoulder. You sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. What the hell just happened? He kissed you! It felt... good? Your brain was suddenly going a million miles a minute until you realized that Rhys was still here. Looking down he hadn’t moved from your shoulder.

“Rhys?” you asked gently. He didn’t move.

Tilting his face you can see his eyes were shut as he had drifted off to sleep. You let out a sigh as you moved him to lay down properly on the couch. Grabbing a nearby blank and placing it over top, you can see his chest slowly rise and fall in rhythm. You swiped a hand through your hair, what were you going to do now. Sure you like Rhys but were you really wanting to start a bigger relationship past being friends? You were a bounty hunter, a dangerous mercenary, and love would only make it complicated or worse, make you weak. 

You looked over his still form one last time before leaving the suite back to your quarters. Why were emotions so complicated?

\--

You've been having trouble sleeping lately, it was early morning as you sat at the Rise and Grind, already on your third cup of coffee. The city had been too quiet since you finished clearing out the remaining Maliwan resistance from the inner district. Rhys had commissioned the reconstruction of surrounding buildings and roads as people and business started to return. You had your ECHO Unit open, scrolling through the Bounty Hunter Bulletin Board (sponsored by Jakobs) as you glanced over all the current contracts available. As much as you like it here it felt like something was missing, it was too calm for your liking. Maybe it was time you moved on, after all there are still plenty of psychos terrorizing other planets. 

“You're here early,” you hear a voice interrupting your thoughts. You turn to see Lorelei as she takes a seat beside you, eyeing up your empty cups. 

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.”

Her features held a look of concern but you gave her a reassuring smile. Even though Lorelei was constantly busy with the expansions of Crimson Lance it was nice that she would still make time for you, even if it was just for morning coffee. On Pandora, you had been alone for so long that you had forgotten what it was like to have someone you can rely on, someone you could call a true friend. You guys often chatted about different topics, sometimes you would tell her about your stories from Pandora, while she would keep you up to date on the Vault Hunters activities against the Calypso Twins. Ugh those two, you hope you would never have to meet them based on the information Lorelei told you. 

Once she was finished with her own cup of coffee you both started the journey back to Watershed Base. Nearing the facility, you can see hordes of military vehicles out front and the voices of men shouting out different commands. Some foot soldiers carrying supplies towards the vehicles while other squadrons of military-garbed troops were standing in formation waiting for orders.

“What's going on?” you asked looking around, entering the main control room.

“Rhys didn’t tell you? We are moving our forces out to the Neon Arterial. We are going to start our main assault against the current psycho stronghold.”

“Ah no, he didn’t mention anything to me.” You turned to your thoughts; Why didn’t he mention it? Did you not prove yourself enough already? Or maybe he doesn’t want to pay you anymore? 

“That’s weird.” Lorelei pulls out her ECHO Unit as you can see her scrolling through it. She pauses, “What? You're not even listed in the roster for deployment.”

You felt your blood boil. Finally some action was gonna take place and you're not even listed to go? Clenching your fists, you could feel your nails starting to dig into your palms. Without a word, you walked towards the Catch-A-Ride station and hopped in a Cyclone.

“Hey, where are you going?” Lorelei called out behind you.

You didn’t look at her, your brow furrowing down.

“I’m gonna go have a talk with Rhys.”

\--

Exiting the elevator you began your mission towards the CEO's office. Out of the corner of your eye you can see Rhys’s new personal assistant move to intercept you but after looking at your deadly demeanor she stops herself, giving a quick nod before sitting back down. She knew who you are, you had been here enough times, and was smart enough to know not to get in your way. 

“Rhys” you said with a growl. You can see the man jump in his chair as you slam your hands down on his desk. “What is this with moving operations to the Neon Arterial?”

“That is ahh…”

“Lorelei told me I wasn’t included in the roster of deployment. Why are you not sending me out of the city?“

“Well, I need you here of course”

“For what? The Meridian Metroplex has been safe for weeks!“ your voice raised, “You haven’t sent me any new working missions even remotely worth my skills. Did I not prove myself to you in my last jobs?”

“No that’s not it all. I just…”

“I’m not one of your soldiers Rhys, if you're not going to have work for me I am going to go find it somewhere else,” crossing your arms in front.

“No!” he stands up, his eyes as dark as yours. You stared at each other for a few moments before he clears his throat and softens his gaze. “That won't be necessary. Just give me a day ok? Once the forces are set up I’ll get you some intel on a few sections you can clear out.”

You tilted your head, you could wait a day you supposed, you had too many connections here anyways now to just up and leave the planet.

“Fine but I will be back tomorrow morning, sharp.”

“No problemo,” he motions a finger gun at you, giving a sly smile. 

You couldn’t help but curl your lip at his action, it was hard to stay mad at such a goofball. You left the office and waved to the assistant, more to reassure her that everything was fine before you went out to do a patrol around the city.

\--

You awake in your quarters, refreshed that you finally were able to get some decent sleep. Itching to get back onto the battlefield, to look down at the enemy through your scope. Giving Lorelei a quick ECHO message that you would be late for morning coffee, you headed back to CEO’s Office. Walking in you are greeted by Rhys and two Crimson Lance troops.

“What the hell is this?”

“Good morning [Y/N], I have that list of coordinates for you to address. These two will be accompanying you on your missions into Neon Arterial.”

“I don’t need babysitters,” you deadpanned. You eyed the soldiers, they didn’t seem to flinch. 

“They aren’t that,” brushing his hand over his face. “It's just so you have some backup. I don't want to risk you getting hurt again. I’ll even make sure you're paid extra if you want. Please?”

They way he made that plea so sweetly it pulled at the pit of your stomach. You didn’t like this, you didn’t need backup for just some aimless bandit scum but you had a hard time telling Rhys no when he did that. You reluctantly agreed heading out with your two new ‘recruits’ in tow. Sending another ECHO to Lorelei, you stated that you had company coming and that you would join her to travel to the Neon Arterial.

\--

Lorelei dropped you off at the newest Atlas outpost in the Neon Arterial before wishing you good luck and giving a thumbs up. Breathing a heavy sigh, you set out to the first coordinates with your overcompensating bodyguards. Every bandit you came across never stood a chance as the recruits ended up killing them with ease, it wasn’t until the third location that you got to participate in any real action. You were fighting off a badass rocket-wielding bandit and when they realized they were losing the fight they fled into a sewer tunnel behind them.

“Ha, you're not gonna escape me.” You stood up from your cover as you began to give chase. Suddenly, a large body of red and black armour stood in your path.

“Sir, we were instructed to only clear the area.”

“Well soldier-boy I'm not one to follow instructions,” you mocked. You kept your gaze narrowed at him as you saw the second Crimson Lance flank behind you from the corner of your eye. 

“Out of the way. Now,” you growled making sure the soldier knew it was a serious threat. 

He didn’t move and with his helmet on you couldn’t tell what his expression was. In one swift motion, you ducked as the soldier behind you went to grab you as you danced around him, kicking him square in the back as he tumbled forward into the first guard. As they tried to regain their composure, you were already off sprinting towards the sewer entrance. You can hear their heavy footsteps behind you as you continue on. Taking a grenade out from your belt you pulled the pin throwing it as you entered the tunnel. It detonated causing the tunnel entrance to collapse, trapping you inside and leaving the Crimson Lance outside. That should hold them off for a while as you turned towards the now one-way tunnel, you began walked forward. It was time to finish your hunt.

Stealthy you made your way down the tunnel, keeping a watchful eye for any bandits that could be hiding in the dark corners. After a small time you reached the end with it opening up into a large room filled with different makeshift bandit houses. Crouching down you focused your ECHO eye to count how many bandits were in the vicinity. It quickly counted up to 25 before it malfunctioned giving off a reading closer to 3000. 

“Ugh not right now,” you whispered as you knocked on your temple getting the eye to reset. Still 25 was more than what you would usually take on solo but you have been so desperate to get some action today you threw caution to the wind. Sliding down the tunnel to some cover, you take out your sniper and begin to line up your scope. 

Commotion erupted as you sent the first bullet flying up to a bandit who was sitting on a rooftop. Incoherent screaming filled the cave as waves of bandits advanced in your direction. You take a few more psychos out quickly before switching back to your SMG. Holding your position, you steadied your breathing as you continued to dispatch psycho after psycho. One came uncomfortably close as you pulled out your knife, slitting across his throat cleanly. You pressed forward through the carnage until you could see the badass from before standing at the other end of the room. Quickly you eyed around to see another 10 or so bandits standing with them when you spot a large fuel tank. The badass in turn aims their rocket-launcher towards you as you grinned wildly. Aiming just behind them, you pulled the trigger. 

The following explosion rocked the cave, anything nearby was disintegrated instantly as the shock wave ripped through the air. You braced yourself only to find you miscalculated the size of the burst as you were flung backwards. Your back slammed into a metal container, lungs gasping for air, you collapse to the ground with a thick _thud_. Your body now laid motionlessly as you felt warm liquid trickle down your temple. “Fuck,” you whispered weakly as your vision went black. 

\--

When you woke up, you could make out dull red hues that speckled your vision. Sitting up with a groan, you see that you are still inside the bandit tunnel, fire had spread to some of the nearby shacks but the area was fully devoid of life. Your head was pounding as pain rocked through your body. Grabbing your gear, you made your way across the room towards a large industrial fan. Walking through the blades, it led you into a ventilation system where you continued on for several yards. Losing your balance, you leaned against nearby the wall. Lifting your gaze, you could see a few rays of light up ahead and upon further inspection a ladder leading up to a manhole. Taking a few deep breaths, you bite through the pain as you begin to climb, the cover was heavy but you managed to find enough strength to move it out of the way. Escaping the tunnel, you felt the wind blow a cool breeze against your exposed skin as you sat on the pavement focusing on your breathing. The bleeding had stopped thankfully but you figured you should seek some medical attention back at the base. The sound of screeching tires made you jump to your feet as a technical sped around the corner. It came to an abrupt stop in front of you as a squadron of Crimson Lance and Lorelei hopped out. 

“[Y/N] are you alright? I got a distress signal from Rhys to come get you.” 

“Yah I'm fine, just bonked my head a little.”

Moving towards the vehicle, the troops formed a circle around as if securing the area but you ignored them and hopped into the back seat. Lorelei entered beside you, checking quickly on your head wound. She asked you about what happened as you filled her in on the details. While she didn’t condemn your actions she highly recommended that maybe next time don't be so reckless. You chuckled as the vehicle took off back towards Atlas HQ.

\-- 

Another groan left your lips as you held an ice pack to your aching head. You were now sitting back at Rhys’s office as he paced back and forth. 

“How could you be so careless [Y/N]," he yelled. “I order you to only clear the area not to chase after bandits into dangerous hideouts.”

“I told you Rhys, I'm not one of your soldiers, I’m a bounty hunter. Hunt is in the job title and I don’t let my prey go. Besides, how did you even know where to send Lorelei?”

“I put a tracker on you since you clearly can’t keep yourself safe.”

“You what?!?”

“It was for your own protection.”

“No one asked you to protect me. I was doing just fine before I came to Promethea and those bandits back on Pandora are a hell of a lot worse than your small infestation.”

“Can’t you see that I don’t want you to get hurt? But look at you,” he sighs holding up his hand to his temple. “You are to remain in the HQ till I figure out what to do with you.”

“Ha,” you chuckled as you strained against the pain. “You won’t be figuring anything out.”

Getting up you headed towards the elevator, not stopping when he called your name.

Back at your quarters you began to strip down, searching everything to find the tracker. Padding down your gear, you slide your thumb over one of the seams of your shirt to find a small bump. Ripping the cloth apart you find a black chip no bigger than the size of your pinky tip. Taking it into your palm, you crushed it into dust, a wave of immense sadness washed over you. You thought you could trust Rhys, you knew he had feelings towards you but you already had set those aside. It would only hinder your work as a bounty hunter and the effects were finally showing. Maybe it was time you left Promethea.

\--

For the next few days Rhys kept to his word, he had you basically in lockdown as you were not allowed to leave Atlas HQ by any means. It was so frustrating being stuck inside the building as you couldn’t even go to visit Lorelei but you two still spent the morning over an ECHO call. It was the crack of dawn when you left your room, today was the day you were going to confront Rhys and break your contract with Atlas. Arriving at his office you can see that no workers were currently on the floor, it was still too early for their shifts but a light at the end of the hallway indicated that Rhys was there. Walking up to his desk you started to speak.

“I’m leaving Rhys, you can’t just keep-”

“I know,” he interrupted, his face looking completely exhausted. Taking a deep breath he continued, “[Y/N] I know I can’t change your mind. I’ve been thinking over and over of how to make you stay. How to tell you how I feel but in the end you don’t feel the same way do you?”

“Rhys, it's not that I don’t have feelings.”

“But you don’t want to be with me. You wouldn’t stop being a bounty hunter to stay with me.”

“No I wouldn’t,” you turned your gaze away. This hurt too much. 

“Can I at least give you something? As a gift?” his voice was filled with sadness. Turning back to face him you only gave him a nod as he walked in front of you. “Will you close your eyes?”

You did as he asked and closed your eyes, the feeling of cold metal encompassed your throat as it tightened slightly. You gasped as you abruptly opened your eyes to see his cold expression.

“Rhys, what hell is this?”

“It looks exquisite on you. Just like I knew it would,” his face contouring into something dark. You reach up to grab the object as it zapped your fingers. “It’s state of the art Atlas technology. Usually we use it for rowdy inmates but I think for our purposes it will do just fine.”

“Have you gone mad? Take this off.” You reach out towards him as a shock rippled through your body, stopping you completely. 

“Now now, this is really only for your own good. This way you will always be safe. Here. With me.”

His hand brushed the side of your face as you gritted your teeth as his statement. 

“Like hell. Rhys if I ever get this thing off your going to regret the day.”

“Well I guess we will have to make sure that never happens.” he chuckled deeply.

He leaned in close to you, so close that you could feel his body heat. You tried to take a step back when another shock stopped you. You grunted at the pain as your ECHO eye began to flicker each time a volt was sent through you. His hands explored your body as he began to tease your neck just below the collar with his lips. Every time you tried to make him stop it only hurt more, the pain radiated through you as you were trapped to his mercy with no one around to help you. You could feel tears prick at the edge of your real eye when you hear the sounds of your ECHO Unit. It continued to ring as you tried your best to reach slowly for it, absorbing the small shocks from your action. Rhys saw your movements as he snatched your ECHO placing it in silent mode. He gave you a wolfish grin as he leaned back in only to hear the sound of his own ECHO Unit begin to ring on his desk. He breathed heavily against your skin as he left you to go answer, seeing the caller he smirked, bringing a finger up to his lips. Immediately you heard the familiar voice of Lorelei.

“Hey Rhys, have you seen [Y/N]? She didn’t pick up this morning when I called.”

You open your mouth quickly to scream at her for help, to get her attention that you were there, only to receive another shock that left you breathless.

“Oh yeah actually. Her and I had a chat this morning and I decided to let her go out on a covert mission. You know how those can be, what with the whole radio silence,” he replied smoothly.

“Really? You would think she would have at least mentioned it to me. And you're ok with that?”

“Yah I finally came to my senses, I couldn’t keep her in lockdown forever. She is a bounty hunter after all, not one of my troops.” He looked towards you, giving you a wink. 

“Well alright, if you talk to her can you please let her know to contact me?”

“Of course,” and with that he ended the call. 

Tears started to stream down your face, this couldn’t be real, this isn’t right. This wasn’t the Rhys you knew, the one that was a sweet goofball that made you smile from his charming antics. What stood before you was cold and collective, like a ferocious beast that had finally captured its prey. Silencing his own ECHO he moved closer to you, his eyes scanning over you as you shuttered. 

“Now then, where were we,” he chuckled as he tilted his face closer to you. Filled with rage and anger you gritted your teeth once more as you swiftly brought your forehead down to the bridge of his nose. He yelped in pain as a large shock rippled through your body. You collapsed to the floor in pain feeling your muscle tense from the excessive volts. Your struggle to keep your eyes open as you hear Rhys give a growl at your actions, your lips curl into a smirk before darkness takes you. 

\--

When you awake, it is dark out. You found yourself in an unfamiliar soft bed, still outfitted in normal attire but all your gear and gadgets were gone. Sitting up you notice that your vision seemed a bit off. Placing a hand in front of you, you spot that you can only see out of one side properly as you discover that your ECHO eye is no longer functioning. You tried to reboot it but it was no use, it was fried. Laying your head into your hand, you exhaled harshly. How could this have happened, where were you now? Lifting your other hand, you went to touch your neck only to be sent another mild shock. Yep the collar was still there, this wasn’t some sort of nightmare that you desperately wanted to wake from, it was real. Looking around the room you can see that it was decently sized, with the bed you were currently sitting on, a few end tables, a dresser and two doors currently closed. You half expected that you would be waking up in a cell as you stood up and headed towards the first door, opening it to reveal an ordinary bathroom. Turning on the light you stood in front of the mirror, looking down to see the object in question around your neck. It was made out of smooth, pitch black metal no more than an inch in height. It sat snugly around your neck but otherwise didn't bring you much discomfort. Closing the door behind you, you reached for the handle of the second door when another bolt coursed through you. Falling to your knees, you tried to catch your breath. I guess this room is a cell, you thought, or maybe closer to a gilded cage. 

A few hours later, the morning sunlight was starting to seep through the windows when the locked door finally opened. Rhys stepping in, you quickly shut your eyes and brought your knees to your chest as you sat in the middle of the bed. 

“[Y/N], did you sleep well?”

You didn’t answer him, only kept your head down to avoid him seeing your ECHO eye. 

“Look this doesn’t have to be so hard alright? You will see soon enough that you belong here with me. There isn’t anything out there for you any more. You’ll have everything you wanted and more, you just have to trust me.”

Trust. He broke that the moment he put this thing around your neck. There was no way you were ever going to listen to him again and you knew that at some point you would find a way out. Rhys walked forward as he sat on the bed beside you placing his mechanical hand on your knee. You moved slightly away only to receive a mild shock in return, hissing slightly at the pain.

“See? All you have to do is cooperate with me and we can go back to the old times. Just you and me.” Remembering those good moments you shared together left you with a bitter taste. He sighed deeply as he rubbed your knee gently, “It’s ok. We got lots of time to figure this out together but for now I’ll leave you be. I’ll be back later.” 

With that he let go as you waited a moment before an audible click could be heard from him locking the door. Looking up, you could see he had left you a small tray of food on the side table but you definitely didn’t have the stomach to eat anything right now. Getting up and looking out the window you could see that you were still high up in the Atlas HQ building, most likely in Rhys’s suite in one of the guest rooms. You rationalize that even if you managed to get past the door leading out that he would have placed other security systems to stop you and maybe even a few Crimson Lance for safe measure. Looking around the room you still were trying to analyze a way out, though it was proving a lot harder now that you didn’t have your ECHO eye. You began to open up the side tables, searching for anything useful that could help you get out of this situation, but unfortunately they only contained some fictional books on Typhon Deleon and some scrap paper. Turning your attention to the dresser you open its drawers to find them filled with an assortment of Atlas branded clothes. Taking each drawer out individually, you proceeded to dump their contents onto the floor, searching for anything of use. On the last drawer you cursed as you observed that it too only contained the same useless garb as the others. You could feel your body heat up as your frustration grew. Tightening your grip on the drawer handle you swung it out, smashing it into the nearby wall. It broke into a few pieces as you let it crash to the floor. Rhys was probably gonna be pissed when he finds out you broke it. Lucky the front panel was unharmed so maybe you could just hide the fact by placing everything back. As you scooped up the clothes back into the remaining functional drawers, you turned your attention back to the broken one. As you picked up the largest piece you could see that the back portion contained a secondary panel. Curiously, you pried off the extra panel to reveal a hidden compartment contained a single black box. 

Sitting on the ground, you turned the box around in your hands. Wasn’t anything particular about the box really but you were wondering why it was in a hidden compartment in the first place. As you pushed the lid open, the box contained a plush pillow and sat on top was a small round disk with a few wires attached, an ECHO eye. Why was there an ECHO eye? Was this some sort of trap? Did Rhys already know that your ECHO eye was damaged? You couldn’t think straight as it all seemed too convent but the more you sat on the idea of it the only conclusion you could come up with is that it was the only thing in the room that could be useful. You would have to take a risk and install it. 

You examined it closer as you headed towards the bathroom mirror, the eye gave off a light blue hue that you knew Rhys would notice the difference from your usual eye the next time he saw you. You would have to take it back out before then but as it was still only around noon by this point you figured you would still have a few hours before he returned. Taking one of the sharpened wooden splinters from the destroyed drawer you began to pry out your current ECHO eye, even though it was turned off you could feel sparks of pain as it popped out from its socket. Putting the eye out further you disconnected the wires attached to yourself and reconnected them with the new ECHO eye. Taking a deep breath you pushed the ECHO eye into the socket as it sparked to life, so far so good. You began to scan the area to test it out, it was similar to your old one, though this one seemed to be in better condition overall. Heading back into the bedroom you sat on the bed as you began to search through the file structure of the eye. You needed something, anything to help you get out of this collar. You found some unreadable code that you couldn’t discern so you searched for the keyword 'Atlas' in its database but all the results that displayed only gave you the name of ‘The Gortys Project’. Scanning through the documents you can see that it was technology from the old Atlas Corporation before Rhys’s take-over. Something to do with a robot, that didn't seem like it would be very helpful.

Time went by as you still couldn't find anything useful to help you in any of the readable files of the ECHO eye. You squeeze your eyes tight as you flopped backwards onto the bed with your arms out wide. This was it huh? No real way of getting out of the mess you landed yourself in, you thought. With your eyes still shut you laid for a few moments until the digital voice cut through the silence. 

_“Well what do we have here?”_

You darted forward to seeing a blue holographic image of a man with a shit eating grin on his face. Your heart stopped as you recognized him immediately, how could you forget the self-appointed dictator of Pandora, Handsome Jack.

“Oh for fuck sake,” you said aloud, could you just wake up from this nightmare already. 

_“Hey language cupcake, and who the hell are you anyways? Where’s Rhys?”_

“[Y/N] and I don’t care where Rhys is as long as he doesn’t come back here.”

You really wished that but you knew he would be back. After all, he said he would and the thing you did know about Rhys, he usually kept his word. You could see the vision of Jack look around the room, as if he was trying to map out his surroundings. His eyes fell onto the broken drawer and the now empty box before he turned back to you.

_“So what, he had me hidden away all this time and you just happen to stumble upon it. And even after all that you went ahead and installed it?”_

You only nodded in response.

 _“What a fricken idiot, what if it had a virus dumb dumb.”_ Jack burst into a laughing fit as he keeled over, slapping his knee. 

“Doesn’t matter, I’d rather be dead at this point,” breaking your gaze.

 _“Why?”_ you could hear his voice turn ice cold as he said that. 

With a sigh, you brought the hologram Jack up to speed on the events from the last few months, from you leaving Pandora all the way up till this very moment. When you look back at his face, he was still, staring intensely at you but in a way that made it look like he was thinking.

 _“Well, I wouldn’t mind getting some revenge on old Rhysie since he kept me in the dark for so long. I still owe him for blowing up my station too.”_ So Rhys didn’t lie about bringing down the Helios station? He never mentioned anything about a Handsome Jack A.I. thought. 

_“So here is the deal kiddo, I am willing to help you out if you help me in return.”_ He placed his hands on his see-through hips and flashed his signature smirk.

“Ha, trust you? No thanks.” you said with a huff, falling back down onto the bed. You laid there with your eyes on the ceiling till it was suddenly blocked by Handsome Jack, startling you a little.

_“You should be gracious that I am even giving you a chance here.”_

“Hyperion tried to kill me a while back on Pandora when you were still alive so let's just say that I don’t trust any CEO. Especially after all this shit,” you rolled over getting up and heading back into the restroom. 

You leaned over the sink as you looked into the mirror again, seeing the blue glowing eye staring back at you. It was getting late, Rhys might be back soon and you still had to fix the broken drawer. Grabbing the same wooden stick from before, you brought it up to the eye again as you started to pry it out.

 _“Whoa whoa whoa, what are you doing?”_ Jack appeared beside you, motioning you to stop.

“I have to remove the eye. Rhys will be back any minute and he is gonna notice when I have a different one installed.”

_“Don’t be too hasty, I don’t want to go back in the dark.”_

“I don’t have a choice Jack.”

 _“I’ll change the color to match,”_ he blurted out as you turned towards him. _“Just tell me what color it was before and I’ll change it. That way he won't know and I don’t have to be turned off again.“_

You pondered for a moment, this probably wasn't a good idea. You had no idea why Rhys had an A.I. version of Jack and really you had your own problems to deal with at the moment but something told you that maybe this would help. It had to help. 

“[F/C]” you replied, “It was [F/C]”. You watched in the mirror as the eye slowly shifted to the exact same color you had before, turning to Jack you stared at him in awe. With him standing so close you see all the details of his face, even as a hologram, you could tell why he had the title of handsome. 

_“Ah, your welcome pumpkin,”_ he teased at you. 

“Oh, umm... thanks Jack.”

You watched as he grinned at you before flickering out, vanishing like he was never there. Inspecting the mirror one last time, you ensured that the new eye was indeed the right color before placing your old ECHO eye back into the box and tucking it away into the hidden panel. Storing all the broken wood pieces inside the bottom of the dresser, you wedge the front panel back into place to look as if nothing was out of ordinary. Curling up into the bed, you thought about what in Great Beyond just happened. If things were not bad enough already you had a feeling it was gonna get a whole lot worse because it seemed that you were now stuck dealing with two asshole CEOs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. This is my first fanfic I have decided to post so please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	3. Dealing with Pain

Time passed slowly as you were trapped in your gilded cage. Being confined to this room was suffocating as you struggled to find its weak point. Rhys had started a routine of greeting you each morning and night as he would bring your meals. He ensured that you had everything you would need but lingered to try and get you to speak with him. It was pretty pathetic that he thought you would just forgive him and pretend that everything was alright. When he got too close you would continue to receive shocks each time you tried to move away from his touch. At least you were grateful that his visits were short for the most part and from your observation he had not noticed anything about your new ECHO eye. 

The first time Jack appeared while Rhys was in the room made you panic internally. Jack loomed over Rhys with a dark demeanor as he examined him, placing a hand on his chin when he stood right in front of him. You thanked the Great Beyond that Rhys didn’t seem to notice the hologram and continued his drab one-sided conversation with you. You kept your best poker face on as you tried to ignore both men.

_“What is going on with his face? Man I wish I could just rip that mustache off like a band-aid. I’m sure he would scream like a little girl. That would be priceless.”_

Your lips curled just a little as Jack said that, only for it to fade when Rhys placed a hand on your thigh. You grabbed Rhys’s wrist and tried to yank it away from yourself when a bolt of electricity coursed through your body, instantly making your muscles go slack. Groaning to the sudden pain, you snarled at Rhys as he looked to you unimpressed.

“Still not going to cooperate [Y/N]?” He shifted closer to you, his real eye was cold and unforgiving. He leaned towards you before tilting slightly and whispering into your ear. “Don’t worry, I’m a patient man.”

You flashed your fangs at him, giving off a slight growl as he left your personal space and exited the room.

 _“That is one persistent son of a bitch,”_ Jack whistled. 

Your gaze quickly snapped as you stared daggers into him. Jack seemed unfazed by your looks, even giving you a quick smirk. Overwhelmed with frustration, you rolled over into the bed, curling up all the blankets you can muster and tried to forget about everything as you drifted off into sleep.

\-- 

This pattern of assault continued as you struggled against Rhys at any opportunity you got. When he wasn’t around you tried to keep yourself occupied; whether it be strategizing a plan to get the collar off, running various exercise routines to keep your physique up or gazing out the window observing the world outside. Today you were trying to relax by reading one of the Typhon Deleon novels you previously had found but your focus kept getting interrupted by a certain A.I. 

_“Ughhh, why do I keep getting paired with you schmucks. I’m finally back and I am stuck in a room with this idiot.”_

“You know I’m right here." Closing the book with a small thud you placed it down on your lap, Jack was currently pacing around the room. “I could always just remove the eye if you prefer not to be here.”

_“Ha, aren't we the little jokester. This is so boring, I'd rather be blowing my brains out that sit in here for another minute."_

Giving a quick shrug, "I am sorry to inform you that you are stuck here with me until I figure a way out. I suggest you find a way to entertain yourself till then."

_"With what smartass. If you didn't notice I can exactly interact with anything."_

"Well then, let's talk."

Spending the next few hours with Jack, you swapped stories back and forth. Going into details about your different adventures on Pandora and comparing events from when Jack was still alive.

_“So this jackhole rushes me with a spoon. A fricking spoon! And I'm dying laughing, right? So I scoop out his stupid little eyeballs with it, and his kids are all, ‘waaahh’.”_

“You must be joking.”

_“I am 100% serious, he couldn’t see where he’s going, he was bumping into stuff. It was one of the best days of my life.”_

You couldn’t help but be enthralled by Jack’s stories. How could one man be the bringer of so much chaos, carnage and death but yet ooze so much charm that he kept you wanting to know more about his next biggest conquest. 

_“So what about you kiddo? What would you say is one of the craziest things you've ever done.”_

“Well, there was this one time I had to use the corpse of a guy’s dead wife to make him think he was haunted. My employer wanted him to sell his property but after the deal was struck I guess the guy was so distressed that the next day he went back and blew the whole place up. Pretty sure there is still a giant crater there now.”

Jack let out a roar of laughter, _“Oh oh, that is too good_.” Wiping an invisible tear from his eye, _“could you imagine if we met back on Pandora? We could have really wiped out all those bandit scum in style.”_

“Yah, maybe we would have,” you smiled. This was nice, with everything going wrong around you, it felt good to have someone to talk to. Recalling that this moment would be only temporary made you pause. Jack's face took a serious tone as he watched you internally struggle.

_"You know that I could help you get out of this place, right?"_

"How exactly?"

_"Don't worry about the details. You just need to let me work my magic. We would be a team, you and I, and I always look out for my team."_

"Yah, not good enough."

_"Come on cupcake. We both know you want to get out of this hell hole. You just gotta trust me."_

You wanted to get out. You so desperately wanted to leave this place and never look back, but trusting Jack wasn't an option. No, you couldn’t let yourself trust another CEO, even if it was a hologram version. You would have to find a way out on your own.

"I'm sorry Jack, I just can't do that."

He gave an audible sigh as he leaned back, you could see the look of disappointment across his features. Holding your gaze to him was difficult, before you sat the ‘Hero of Pandora’ offering you a small sliver of hope but you couldn’t find the strength to accept it. Jack studied you for a moment before turning his head towards the window, longingly looking into the distance before vanishing, leaving you alone.

\--

Sitting at the edge of the bed, the sunlight was filling the room as Rhys entered once again. Placing another tray of food on the side table he came up beside you. He flashed you a smile as you observed him before moving your gaze on the floor. 

“You always look so radiant,” his body was now flush beside you as he took your hand into his own. You had learned not to flitch anymore, the pain wasn’t worth it and you were pretty sure the shocks were caused some nerve damage that you didn’t want to worsen. 

“I miss being close to you. When we used to spend our whole evenings keeping each other company,” his breath was eerily close as he continued. “Believe me [Y/N], I want to go back to that. I want to be able to let you come with me. We could control Atlas together. All you have to do is promise that you will behave. That you will stay by my side.”

“Rhys, you need to stop this. This isn’t you, please just let me go.”

“I told you [Y/N] this is the only way to keep you safe. I don’t have to worry about you getting hurt anymore.”

“It should have never been a concern in the first place!” You stood up, surprised you didn’t receive a shock. 

Rhys let out a sigh as he stood beside you, “[Y/N] need to stop being difficult and listen to me.”

“No, I won’t.”

You felt the cold sting of metal hit the side of your face, sending you to the floor on your knees. Cradling your cheek with one of your hands, you wince at the pain as you look up at Rhys. His mechanical arm now was raised in front of him and his eyes were back to their familiar ice cold gaze. Another sigh leaves his lips as he crouches down towards you.

“You shouldn't upset me like that [Y/N]. I'm only doing what is best for you.”

His mechanical arm reached forward, grabbing your chin as he tilted your head towards him. Grunting at the action you didn’t resist but you soon wished you had when you felt his lips forced upon you. It didn’t feel the same as it did that one time before, it was harsh and unpleasant. He parted your lips with his tongue as he tightened his grip, exploring your mouth as you stayed motionless. Your body began to tremble when he finally released you, giving you a confident smirk before once again standing and leaving the room. Tears ran down your face as you sat on the floor, pulling your knees up to your chest.

\--

It was already half way through another day when you had started your daily workout routine. Swapping from different exercises, you pushed your limits till felt your muscle strained against you, sweat forming on your skin.

_"You're gorgeous, in case you didn't know kiddo."_

Your arms instantly gave out from underneath you during one particularly hard push-up, resulting in you crashing to the floor. Looking up you could see Jack was sitting cross legged in front of you, one arm draped over his thigh as the other one acting like a perch for his chin. His eyes were hooded as he watched you with a smirk across his lips. God why was he so handsome.

'What?"

_"You heard me."_

Pushing yourself back up, you sat on your knees and you tried to catch your breath, swiping the back of your hand on your forehead. Jack's eyes never left your body as his grin grew across his face.

_"Good to know all that bounty hunter training is useful for something but if it was up to me? I'd have you sweating for different reasons."_

If your cheeks were not already flush before they sure were scarlet red now as you imagined what he was alluding to. Jack was always trying to find new ways to get under your skin. From the excessive flirting to boasting about his good looks and heroic deeds, he was pushing your buttons to see what clicked. It was frustrating how easily he was able to as well, that man had no filter.

But for all the tease and taunting he did the one thing that kept you wanting to get to know Jack better wasn’t that he was - well Jack, it was that he made you feel normal. Like you were your old bounty hunter self that was free to hunt down bandits and share the glory with a fellow companion. The way he treated you as an equal when you told each other stories of your conquest in battle. Sometimes he would confide in you about his regrets in life, telling you about the countless betrayals he had faced and what he would change if he could redo it all again. You thought about how different he truly was then the ruthless tyrant you knew about back when he was alive. He was a man that had been through so much hardships, had everything taken away only to find the strength to get back up and carry on. You couldn't help but allow Jack to become someone you admire, someone you respect and someone you cherish. 

He gave you a sly wink as you rolled your eyes and stood up, swaying slightly from exhaustion as you headed into the bathroom. Steam filled the room as you turned the tap to the shower. Stepping in, the water was the perfect pressure and temperature to help soothe your aching muscles. Taking a deep breath, you allowed yourself to focus solely on the sensation of water that trickled down. It always helped to take your mind off things, you only wished that you could stay here for longer. Applying a few different products, you massage them into your hair and skin, rinsing it off when you hear his uninvited voice.

_“I got to say pumpkin, I do like what I see.”_

Turning around, Jack had followed you into the shower as he crossed his arms, lifting an eyebrow as he flashed his signature smirk. Keeping your back to him, you continued to remove the excess soap as if you were trying to ignore his presence. 

“What do you think you're doing?”

 _“Appreciating the view,”_ you could hear his cocky smile.

While you didn’t welcome him leering over your body, you had never been ashamed of your looks nor acted shy as you could feel his gaze on your skin. Your body showed your tales as a bounty hunter, each scar told their own story, muscle lean and tone that could easily turn the tide of battle with their strength. Turning off the water you stepped past him, grabbing a towel as you wrapped it around yourself, his face dropping into more of a pout.

_“Awe come on, why do you have to ruin my fun?”_

This time, you smirked at him.

\--

Your dreams were constantly filled with the tortures of the real world. Your voice was hoarse as you screamed for help, yet nobody ever came. His touches lingered on your skin that burned into your flesh but never left a mark. The pain that radiated through your body felt worse they any physical torture or battle injury you had ever received. You couldn’t make it stop, it tormented you with no way to escape. Trying to fight against it only made it worse, everything seemed so pointless, like nothing you did mattered. But the worst part of it, for the first time in a long time, you were scared. Waking in a cold sweat you sat up, shaking from the nightmares. 

_“You alright?”_ a faint blue glow appeared beside you as Jack sat on the bed.

“I- I’m fine. Just having trouble sleeping.”

_“I can see that. You want to talk about it?”_

“Not really. I’m just tired of being in pain all the time. I still haven’t found a way to get out of this predicament and I'm starting to think there isn’t one.” Staring down at your trembling hands you paused, “maybe this is just the end of my story.”

_“Hey hey, none of that ok? Eyes on me.”_

You looked over to Jack to see he was practically on top of you. He placed an arm across your body as if he was able to keep you pinned in place. His face was close enough that if he was a real person you were sure that you would be able to feel his body heat, his breath against your skin.

_“You are more than what that scumbag Rhys should ever deserve. You got the guts to resist him. You're a badass and I should know.”_

You sat there stunted. Jack, the Handsome Jack just called you a badass. His eyes burrowed into yours with sincerity as you opened your mouth but you found yourself lost for words. You continued to gaze at one another until Jack's shoulders dropped slightly as he hung his head down low. After a moment he turned back up to you, his features softened. 

_“There was once a time I did the same thing you're going through to someone I loved. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about it and regret every moment of it. I was blinded back then by my ambitions, I couldn’t see that she was hurting.”_ His eyes were full of sorrow as he spoke, _“It wasn’t right back then and it isn’t right now. So...so just don’t give up yet. Can you do that for me pumpkin?”_

Still unable to speak, you managed to nod your head, not moving your eyes off him.

 _“That’s my girl. Now get some sleep.”_ he leaned off you as he stood back up, giving you a faint smile. Laying back down, you brought the blankets closer to your face as you smiled yourself before drifting back to sleep. 

\--

You weren’t sure how long you had been trapped in this room now. Every day felt like it bled into the next and you had lost track of time. Rhys continued to visit you twice a day as you tried to minimize the pain from each visit. He had gotten into a habit of giving you small kisses on your forehead before he left, you observed Jack gritting his teeth every time it happened. The next time Rhys returned to your room it was late. 

“[Y/N] I have a surprise for you,” he reached out his hand towards you. You reluctantly stood and placed your hand in his as he led you out the door. Walking down the hallway you found yourself in the familiar space of Rhys’s CEO suite. 

“I figured since you've been so good lately I would let you spend some time with me outside your room.” Walking towards the living room he let go of your hand before taking a seat. “Come here [Y/N],” patted his lap indicating for you to sit. 

You wanted to hesitate, you wanted to stand your ground and say no, but you knew it would be far worse if you did. Sitting between his thighs, he wrapped his arms around your waist while he placed his chin on your shoulder. Concentration on your breathing, you tried not to move, you didn’t want to give him any satisfaction from his touches. Turning on the TV, he kept you secure in his lap making sure you couldn't leave. 

You couldn’t concentrate on the screen, all you could think about is how you wanted to get out of this. Out of the corner of your eye you could see the entrance to the apartment, it was so tantalizing close. Your thoughts were interrupted as Rhys’s flesh hand began to stroke your body as his mechanical one kept you in place. His face turned closer to your neck as he started to nibble on your skin.

“Rhys don’t,” your voice only coming out as a whisper.

“Don’t what?” 

“Please don’t do this.”

“It’s ok [Y/N], let me take care of you.”

Grasping your chin with his mechanical hand, he moved your head towards him as he took your lips. His kiss was deep as he held you there, his other hand began to snaked its way under your shirt, slowly trailing up. You shifted in place trying to break his grip on you but it was no use as he held you tight. You could feel his fingers grace over your skin as tears begin form on your cheek. This wasn’t happening. You couldn’t let this happen. You needed to make it stop. Quickly your sorrow became a flash of anger as you bit into his lip. Rhys hissed in pain as his grip loosed from your sudden action, allowing you enough space to spin your body and landing a punch right to his nose. He fully let go of you as you rushed out of his grasp and headed towards the front door. You pulled on the handle to find that it was locked, bracing yourself you tried to ram into it with your shoulder only to find it would not budge. Panicking, you scanned the door frame with your ECHO eye but couldn’t find anything to suggest an access or override panel before you heard a growl behind you.

You turn to see Rhys with his hand to his nose as blood is dripping down. His features were dark, his eyes focused on you with murderous intent. You stood there frozen, afraid. You watched as his ECHO eye dilated when a large volt of electricity rocked your body. Gasping for air, you fell forward trembling from the pain. A swift kick to your side knocked you down fully to the ground as Rhys stood over you, chuckling. Another wave of pain riddled your body as you felt your conscious slowly fading. 

“I guess we are back to square one,” was the last thing you heard before everything went black.

\--

When you awoke you found yourself back in the familiar room you had become so accustomed to. The events from last night replayed in your mind as you felt the lingering pain course through your body.

 _“You going to be ok pumpkin?”_ Jack was leaning against the wall, his arms folded in front.

“I’m not sure.” It was the truth, you didn’t know what was going to happen now that you once again rejected Rhys.

_“Last night was disgusting, even by my standards.”_

“You it saw huh. Why do you say that?”

_“Sweetheart, I don't need to force people to want me.”_

Why did it sound like he was more boasting about himself more than condemning Rhys’s actions. Turning back to your thoughts you also agreed though, it was disgusting what he tried to do to you last night. Any feelings you had for Rhys were long dead and all that was left was grief and hatred. Neither of you said a word as time passed, the silence with deafening.

"Jack, you said you could help me escape before. Did you mean it?"

_“Of course, I’m a man of my word.”_

"What is it that you want from me in return?"

_"I want you to take me back to Helios."_

You pondered the request for a moment. You didn’t know why Jack would want to go back to the junk pile on Pandora that was once the Helios Station. Surly there wasn’t anything left there as it had been picked clean by bandits and rival companies looking for secrets. But what did it matter anyways, your back was up against the wall now and Rhys was going to make your life a whole lot worse from last night's antics. 

You exhaled deeply, “Alright. I’ll get you to Helios.”

 _“You won't regret this kiddo,”_ his face beamed as he pushed off the wall and walked towards you. _“So here is the thing, from last night I was able to figure out the wave pattern he has placed on the doors that stops you from exiting the apartment. I can disable it for a time allowing you to leave. The only thing is from his attack last night, you know the one that knocked you out? There was a second signature that I can’t prevent.”_

A second signature? You concentrated for a moment till you remembered. 

“His ECHO eye. It- it dilated right before the shock happened.”

_“Right, so you’re gonna need to neutralize that to ensure that he can’t use the collar against you.”_

“Let's say we are able to get past the collar. The front door didn’t have an access panel, so how will we open it?”

_“You leave that one with me. Just take care of Rhysie and buy us some time.”_

He wanted you to trust him. It was still hard to do that but you knew now that you couldn’t do this alone, you would have to rely on Jack. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you took a deep breath as you accepted having to put some faith in the Hyperion CEO. After all he had been stuck here with you the whole time. 

“Ok, let’s get out of here.”

\--

Rhys had left you locked in your room for three days since your last incident with him. Jack continued to keep you company, keeping your spirits up, making sure you were prepared for when he would eventually return, and when he did that morning, you were ready.

“Rhys,” you whispered as you sat at the edge of the bed but he did not answer. He placed a tray of food like always on the side table before standing in front of you.

“Rhys I’m so sorry, please, please forgive me. I- I was just scared, I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

Tilting your head up to him, you brought your eyes onto his. You remembered the pain, the agony of the shocks rippling through your body, his touches that made you feel like your skin was burning as tears began to stream down your face. Slowly Rhys crouched down to you, placing a hand on your cheek as he wiped away the tears.

“Will you be a good girl?” his voice was soft as he spoke.

“Yes.”

Rhys shifted his hand behind your head as he leaned down towards you, capturing your lips with his own. This time it felt soft like it did the first time, as you kissed back you could feel things start to heat up between you as the kiss became more passionate. When he finally pulls away, your breath was heavy as you gasp for air. You look at him through your lashes as he studies your face in kind.

“Show me you can behave.”

\--

It took several days to regain Rhys's trust back but eventually he allowed you to enter the suite again under his supervision. You started to spend your evening together almost like you did before. You were careful not to resist him but also made sure that you gave him enough affection so he didn’t have to force anything upon you.

Tonight, Rhys brought you to the dining table to see that it featured low light candles and placement of two plates of fine cuisine, one for each of you. He helps you into your chair as his touch lingers in your arms, sending a small shiver down you. Taking a corkscrew, he popped the top of an expensive looking wine bottle before pouring you both a glass. You enjoyed your meal together as you talked about various topics and the recent expansions of Atlas. By the end you had finished your wine as you reached out towards him, feeling a mild shock radiant through your arm. Recoiling slightly, you looked at him. 

“Rhys, would you let me touch you?”

His eyes stared into yours for a moment till you notice his ECHO eye slightly shift. He pushed his chair out from the table as he reached his arm towards you. Standing, you took his hand as you straddle his lap. Placing the other hand into his hair, you began to massage lightly as his arm hugged around your waist. Rhys leaned his head into your chest as he breathed deeply.

“Oh [Y/N], I waited so patiently for you.”

“I know, I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“It's ok, it doesn’t matter now.”

He let go of your hand as he started to caress your body against his. You shiver slightly as you continue to keep a hand is his hair as the other reached behind you slowly. You never stopped looking down at Rhys as he continued to explore your body. You steadily felt the table behind you as you kept giving him devotion until you found the object you were seeking. Without hesitation you pulled his hair back forcing his gaze upwards. As quickly as it all happened, you took the corkscrew you now grasped in your hand and jammed it into Rhys’ ECHO eye. He cried out in pain as you lifted your fists over your head, clasping them together and bringing them down as hard as you could, letting Rhys fall to the floor as he laid there unconscious.

Regaining your wits, you stood over Rhys’s now limp body. Kicking him over to see the corkscrew firmly launched into his eye socket, confirming that the ECHO eye would be useless from here on out. You turned your attention to the room as you scanned around, there was no sign of Jack but you headed into the kitchen grabbing a sharp chef's knife and tucked it into one of your belt loops. As you walk to the entrance you try the door handle, still locked. This was it, now or never, you thought.

“Jack.” 

No response.

“Jack?” you looked around the room concerned. 

Nothing. Why isn’t he here? He said he would help you. What if Rhys got back up? What if you were wrong about the shocks being controlled only by the ECHO eye? How could you let yourself trust another CEO, your thoughts raced as panic started to set it.

“Jack!”

 _“Hold your horses cupcake, I’m right here.”_ He appeared beside you as you looked at him with relief. _“What, you think I could leave a sweet little thing like you all alone? You know you're stuck with me, right?”_

“Ah- I damaged Rhys’ ECHO eye and I don’t know how long he will be out so we need to get a move on. Can you open the door?”

He grinned at you before vanishing. A few moments later the door chimed as it opened before you. You could see the hallway leading to the elevator, your escape to freedom, the only problem? There were two Crimson Lance who had now turned to your direction with their weapons up. 

“Shit.”

“Halt, no one is to enter or leave the vicinity. As ordered by the CEO of Atlas”.

You took two steps out into the hallway as the door closed behind you. 

“I said halt!”

You stood there, slowly moving your arms up as an indication of surrender. Slowly the two soldiers made their way towards you, guns still drawn. As they approached one of them noticed the knife as he signaled the other one to keep watch while he reached to disarm you. You didn’t move when the first soldier took the knife from your belt but as he started to pull away your eyes narrowed. In one smooth motion, you grabbed his wrist and twisted, making him drop the knife in pain. You ducked as the second soldier shot, snatched the knife out of the air as it fell, you swiftly cut along the Achilles tendon of the first making him lose his balance. You dodge the incoming bullets as you close the distance to the second soldier, stabbing the knife straight into his right arm. He grunted to the pain as you gave him a swift punch to the gut as he crumpled to the ground. Grabbing the discarded gun you noticed from the corner of your eye that the first soldier now held his own gun as he began to fire. You felt a bullet graze your cheek as you shifted out of the path. Taking aim you shot at the guard with a single bullet to the head. You didn’t want to kill any Crimson Lance but you needed to get out of here, you would do what it took to survive. 

_“Wow, you're pretty deadly aren’t you? Guess you weren’t lying about how much of a killer you are,”_ Jack purred.

“You thought I was lying?”

_“No. But it’s pretty hot to see it in action.”_

You felt yourself grow a little flush at his statement. Shaking your head you tried to focus, this wasn’t the time to be affected by Jack’s flirts. Quickly you made your way to the elevator, as you pressed the button it chimed at you as it declined your request. 

“No no no.” Scanning the area with the ECHO eye, you see that the elevator was currently on lockdown and that only someone with full access could authorize it. That guy was currently still dreaming you hoped. Turning around, you looked back down the hallway when your ECHO eye highlighted a panel on the wall. Getting closer, you pulled the panel out to reveal a service hatch leading to a ladder, quickly climbing in, making you decent down. 

It took several minutes till you reached the bottom as you let out a collected sigh. Mental note; never get trapped at the top of a tall tower again. You moved the panel leading out as you kept your body close to the wall. Peering out you can see the main inner courtyard of the Atlas HQ building, currently filled with a few civilians and soldiers walking about. You worried about what would happen if someone spotted you, would they even know to stop you? There was no way to sneak past them all to get outside so you would just have to blend in. Keeping your gaze low you walk into the crowd, making sure you keep your hand close to your knife in case of trouble. You made it about half way across the building when a red flashing light filled the space and the sound of an alarm and loudspeaker began to ring out. 

_Attention, the building is currently on lockdown mode. Please remain calm._

The message continued to blare as people around looked in horror as you could see Crimson Lance soldiers holding a hand up to their ear, getting orders about the alert.

_“Time to go kiddo.”_

Jack didn’t have to tell you twice as you were already sprinting towards the nearest exit. Ahead of you, a legion of Crimson Lance troops were already blocking the main exit as a crowd of civilians were trying to leave. Taking a sharp turn, you head away towards one of the side doors that you knew leads into a maintenance hallway. A pair of Crimson Lance soldiers were already standing guard when you walked towards them.

“Halt citizen, this area is off-”, you punched both guards simultaneously square in the gut before he could finish his sentence. You opened the door and pushed their bodies inside while they collapsed to the floor. Stepping over top of the two unconscious guards, you close the door behind you, shooting out the access panel rendering it useless. 

_“Hah ha hah huh, this is the life. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”_

Searching the guards, you collected some more ammo clips before you set off down the hallway. You could hear the muffled cries of the alarm continuing outside but thankful you didn’t run into any people as you dashed down the corridor. You stopped when you stood in front of a door marked ‘Emergency Exit’ but noted that the access panel currently was not functional due to the lockdown. Ripping off the panel cover, you started pulling out the mass of wires, shifting through them.

_“What’s the hold up?”_

“Give me a sec,” taking out your knife you cut through two wires as you rejoined them together. The panel restarted, removing the lockdown override and allowing you open the door and exit out into the street. 

The first thing you noticed was the breeze. How long has it been since you were able to feel the wind against your skin, it was so refreshing, it felt like freedom. You took a moment standing there, breathing easy for once, before Jack interrupted your small celebration.

_“I’m real happy for yah cupcake but we need to keep moving. We aren't out of the woods yet.”_

“Right,” focusing once again, you knew that it was only a matter of time till Rhys figured out you had escaped the facility. He would have his troops scouring the planet looking for you, meaning that Promethea was no longer safe. You needed to get off this planet, you needed to get to Pandora.

\--

When you arrived at the Halcyon Spaceport, you were relieved that the area did not seem to be on high alert yet. Entering the main hub you can see it was quite busy since last you were here. There were crowds of people occupying the area as well as a number of ships coming in and out of the station. You assumed since the Maliwan and psycho presence on the planet was dying out that people are still continuing to make their way back or maybe even to find refuge from other dangerous worlds. You worked your way into the herd of civilians, keeping notes on the amount of guards and where they were located. Moving your way closer to the ship bays, you surveyed the area quickly trying to discern how you could get to a ship without a guard taking note of you when you saw him. Across the way there was a plump merchant covered in extravagant furs and jewelry, currently yelling a little too loud into his ECHO Unit at some poor soul on the other end of the line.

“Listen here you mongrels, get the deal done before I arrive back to the station or you will regret to see the next sunrise, you hear?”

Quickly, you straightened your appearance and made sure you there was no visible blood on you as you headed closer to his location. Walking in front of him, you casually trip yourself, falling to the floor tastefully. 

“Ow,” you made your voice as timid as you could.

“Oh my dear are you alright?” the man bent down to you as he laid out his hand.

“Thank you kind sir. I think I will be alright now that you're here.”

 _“You gotta be kidding,”_ Jack groaned as he watched you accept his hand, being lifted back onto your feet.

 _“_ Of course, what kind of gentlemen would I be if I left a lady in such distress. Pray tell, what do they call something as exquisite as yourself?”

You gave him a quick chuckle and a shy smile, “Grace.”

“Well Grace, what brings you here to Halcyon Spaceport?”

“I've always been fascinated by the ships here. I come often to see them.”

“You know, I have my own ship if you like to see it.”

“Really? I’ve never been up close to one before,” you widen your eyes in awe. 

_“Laying it on a little thick, aren't you cupcake?”_ Jack growled, you only responded with a side glare.

“Of course, come darling let me show you.”

You linked your arm with the mans as he leads you down one of the hallways, bringing you to an empty hangar that contains a single ship. It looked fairly modern, maybe top of the line as far as merchant ships go. 

“She is beautiful,” you let go as you walked a few feet closer.

“Yes she is but maybe not quite as captivating as you are my dear.”

You turned your gaze away, pretending to blush at his remark. 

_“Oh I so want to shoot this guy in the head,”_ Jack scowled. 

_“_ Is it possible for me to see inside?” you questioned as you continued to ignore Jack.

“How about I do you one better and we can go for a little spin.” He lifted his eyebrow as he gave you a devilish smile, “Just wait right here while I go get us clearance to leave.”

As he turned back to leave the hangar, you followed silently as you picked up an abandoned wrench left on one of the workstations, clunked him over the head with it, rendering him unconscious. Hmm too easy, you thought as you swiped the guy's ECHO Unit off him.

“Jack, can you please not next time. It’s hard to work when you keep commentating.“

_“Hey I don’t need you flirting with anyone, especially this clown.”_

“It got the job done so lets go before someone walks in.”

Heading towards the ship’s entrance, you hear a small blast as you jump out of the way just before a bullet embedded itself right where you were standing. Turning around you pulled out your borrowed gun to see a tall figure standing at the hangar doors. He was tall, covered head to toe in black armour. He held a sniper rifle in his arms, the barrel giving off a small smoke trail as a sword was strapped to his back.

“ _Zer0_ ,” Jack hissed.

“It’s been a long time Zer0. Let me guess, Rhys sent you.”

“A chance to spar is / Something I always adore / I've come to collect.”

“I guess that means you know not to underestimate me. I’m not going back to him.”

With that you aimed down your scope at Zer0, your eye narrowed slightly as you both stood there. Seconds felt like minutes as you eyed each other up until, in a flash, Zer0 disappeared before you. Quickly you darted to a nearby console for cover as the sound of bullets pinged off the metal. From your limited experience you knew that Zer0 always preferred long range attacks with his sniper to try and secure the easy kill but that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t well versed with other fighting techniques.

 _“[Y/N] this is bad, you need to get out of here NOW!”_ Jack’s voice was filled with anger but you also could tell he was deeply concerned. 

“Tell me where he is shooting from.”

_“He’s currently at your 3 o’clock, about 30 meters up.”_

Shutting your eyes for a second, you waited until you heard the next bullet to hit the console before lifting yourself over the cover and starting shooting in the direction Jack told you. With your covering fire you were able to focus your ECHO eye onto Zer0’s body as it tracked him getting behind cover. Keeping an eye on you of your ammo meter, you used each clip to go from cover to cover, inching your way closer to the ship. You exchange gun fire back and forth for several rounds till you are close enough to make a sprint towards the ship. As you were about to make a dash for it, you noticed Zer0 disappeared again as your ECHO eye lost track. The air was eerily silent as you stood there waiting for where he would appear next when you heard a _hiss_ directly behind you. Turning quickly you lifted your gun in front of you just in time to block Zer0’s sword as it bear down upon you. Struggling against his might you tried to push back when you noticed that the sword was edging its way through the gun’s metal. You hastily jumped backwards before the gun was fully split in two. 

“You were once equal / But to go and hurt my bro / I will not forgive.”

“Are you blinded by your faith in him? He isn’t anything but a cruel monster.” Gritting your teeth, you pulled out your chef's knife in defense. “I’m leaving Zer0, Rhys can’t have me.”

Zer0 was always hard to read. With the lack of seeing his face you had no idea what he was thinking but you could see that it didn’t matter what you said, he wasn’t going to stop his mission to bring you back. In the blink of an eye he was already upon you, slashing away as you tried your best to deflect his blade. One after another you danced around his attacks as he relentlessly pushed you. You gasp as one particular swing caught you off-guard, knocking the knife out of your hands as you watch it slide across the room. Turning your focus back to Zer0, it was already too late as you saw his foot collide into your stomach sending you flying . Your back slammed into one of the metal consoles as you groaned in pain, coughing a little as blood began to trickle from your lips. Once your eyes refocused, you looked up to see Zer0 standing above you with his sword to your chest.

“A grave mistake / You should have paid attention / My mission complete.“

You watched as he lifted his blade about to strike when his helmet flashed ‘404’.

_“Get going cupcake, I can’t keep his suit frozen for long. Do I have to do everything myself?”_

Your lips curled as you hear Jack give you sass after you had just endured that exhausting skirmish. Getting to your feet you regained your balance as you saw Zer0 trying to push against his now constraining gear. Hurrying to the ship you open the door as you step inside and head up the captain’s chair. Pulling out the service panel underneath the controls you went to reach down and find a way to jump start the ship when you heard Jack’s voice behind you.

_“Too slow pumpkin, let’s go.”_

The ship hummed to life as you guessed Jack was able to hack it faster than you could ever try. Sitting down you winced slightly as you were pretty sure you broke a rib from Zer0’s forceful kick. The ship began to take off without any input from yourself, slowly hovering before exiting the hangar. As it departed from the building, a voice echoed through the communication speaker.

“Unauthorized craft, return to the hangar or we will be forced to fire.”

Looking up at Jack, his face was stone cold looking forward as the ship continued. He turned towards you when he noticed you staring.

_“You might want to hold on to something.”_

Suddenly the ship propelled forward at max speed, the sound of auto turrets began to rise outside as the ship shook violently from shots hitting the haul. The ship continued to dodge and weave in the air as it outmaneuvered the brunt of the artillery fire and as a small fleet of Atlas military ships came into view to intercept, Jack blasted them out of the sky with the ship’s defense turrets. Holding a firm grip on your chair, you watch as Jack grinned wildly out the window, his face showing murderous joy. 

“Jack?”

 _“Don’t worry sweetheart,”_ his voice was rich with delight, _“I got you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. This is my first fanfic I have decided to post so please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> I am sorry in advance if your name happens to be Grace. Also I do realize that Zer0's suit in the BL3 is more black and white but I feel like his original BL2 outfit was more iconic so please forgive me for describing it as such.


	4. A Promise to Keep

Only once the ship had left the atmosphere of Promethea were you finally able to relax. The adrenaline was still pumping through your veins as you recalled the night's events; reimagining the thrills of deceiving Rhys, storming through Atlas HQ and your fight against Zer0 in the hanger. It had been so long since you last felt the sensation of battle that it almost felt foreign, but as you recounted the events there was only one thing that kept coming back to your mind, Jack’s expression. When he first took control of the ship you watched him as he stood there with confidence, grinning wickedly out the window. His eyes were sharp but you could swear that they hunger for blood each time he critically hit the enemy’s ships. You wondered if you should be frightened by what you witness, anyone with the right mind would have, but you found yourself encapsulated by it, almost wanting to see it again. Taking a deep breath you regretted it immediately as a sharp pain ripped through your chest. 

“Damn that stings,” you hissed.

_“How are you holding up?”_

“Could have been worse. Most likely have a broken rib but nothing I won’t live through.”

Lifting up your shirt, you can already see the hideous purple-black markings starting to appear where Zer0 had landed his foot. While the injury wasn’t fatal, you knew that it was best to get some sort of treatment. Maybe this ship has a supply cache, you thought as you slowly stood from your chair. 

The main compartment of the ship was filled with various wooden crates tied together by ropes and covered by a few linen sheets as you shifted your way through. You spotted the emergency supply cache near the back as you opened it to find it contained a selection of field rations, a simple medic kit, and a single Insta-Health vial. Immediately injecting yourself with the vial, you felt a wave of relief as the pain slowly subsided and the medication took effect. Knowing that it would help start the healing process, you procured a roll of bandages from the medical kit and wrapped your midsection before returning to the captain’s chair. Jack was still at the helm as he steered the ship with his body facing towards the window.

“Jack, thanks for helping me. I probably would have never gotten out of there by myself.”

_“Don’t sell yourself short pumpkin, but you still owe me.”_

Chuckling softly, you tried your best to unwind. You didn’t want to think about what would have happened if you had never met Jack. You were sure now that there wouldn’t have been any chance of you getting out on your own. You would have been stuck in that god forsaken room until Rhys eventually broke you and you became his. 

Your thoughts wandered back to Jack as you reflected on how even though he was a CEO he had delivered on his promise to help you escape. That the trust you had put in him was not misplaced and that now it was time to return the favor.

“So we are going to Pandora?”

_“That’s right, we need to get our butts to Helios. I assume you know where it is?”_

“It’s landed on the north side of the Eridium Blight.”

_“Great, then that’s where we are heading.”_

“We should really think about stopping for supplies. That area is highly populated with bandits and I am currently unarmed.” You pondered your options before continuing, “the closest outpost to it would be Lynchwood. If we stop there first I have a few older connections there that could help us.”

You could see Jack physically freeze when you said that. It was a subtle movement to where most people would have missed it but you had been around him long enough to notice.

“Jack?”

He didn’t respond, his gaze was still looking out the window as he stood there in silence. Deciding it was best not to press the subject, you pulled out your newly acquired ECHO Unit and began to hack into its systems. It had been a while since you had to decode one of these but after a few minutes you were able bypass its security, deleting any current data and creating a new untraceable account that would allow you to better hide your signature on the ECHOnet. Once you confirmed everything was set up correctly, you connected to an emergency account you kept for situations like this, allowing you access to a small fund of money and an anonymous connection to the Bounty Hunter Bulletin Board. As you open the bulletin board, you are greeted by its usual welcoming message and the featured contact of the day. A contact for the attempted murder of the Atlas CEO; A contract for one Bounty Hunter [Y/N] to be captured alive. You gave an audible sigh as Jack leaned over your shoulder.

_“That is quite a few zeros at the end of that number cupcake. Well, really it's just chump change but there will be some greedy scumbags out there that will cause trouble over it.”_

“All the more reason to get some proper gear. Most hunters on Pandora will know it's not worth the risk even for that price but we will still have to be careful.”

Shutting off the device, you winced slightly as the Insta-Health medication was starting to wear off in your system. 

_“You should get some rest. I’ll wake you when we get there.”_

Closing your eyes, you tried to find a position that didn’t irritate your injury as you yawned quietly, allowing yourself to drift off into sleep.

\-- 

The ship shook faintly as you awoke from the abrupt movement. Outside the window you could see a vista of vast desert in all directions as the sun was rising over the horizon. 

_“Welcome back to Pandora kiddo.”_

“Where are we exactly?”

_“On the outskirts of Lynchwood. You said you wanted to get supplies so here we are.”_

Standing up, you stretched lightly noticing that your injury felt better than it did before. Those Insta-Health vials were always a godsend to help speed up the recovery time but you knew that it would still be a bit till you were fully healed. Grabbing one of the sheets covering the cargo you ripped off a section to create a makeshift scarf that you wrapped around your head and torso as you exited the craft. Taking a deep breath of the dry, smog-ridden air of Pandora you didn’t know you could miss such a god forsaken planet as you gaze landed on the familiar rust covered buildings of Lynchwood. You tried to keep a low profile as you headed into town, it was early morning and you figured that most of the locals would still be sleeping off a drunken stupor from last night but with the newest bounty placed on your head you didn’t want to draw any attention. 

_“This shithole hasn’t changed a bit,”_ Jack mumbled as he walked beside you.

“How long has it been?”

_“I haven’t been here since those bandits killed my late girlfriend.”_

Girlfriend? Why did that surprise you. Of course Handsome Jack would have had a girlfriend. You should have expected that he most likely had quite a few of them when he was alive. But why did it bother you to hear that? Looking at Jack, you could see that he avoided your gaze, even looking a bit sorrowful.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

_“Don’t be. It’s been a long time and her and I… Well, it was complicated.”_

“Would I have heard of her? I assume if she dated you she must have been a big shot too.”

He gave you a light chuckle, _“I would be worried about your reputation as a bounty hunter if you didn’t. After all she was the Sheriff of this little town.”_

You stopped dead in your tracks. He did just say the Sheriff right? But the Sheriff of Lynchwood when Jack was alive was. Nisha. Oh you had some good run-ins with her, mostly it involved you two trying to kill each other but on a few occasions you would call it a tie and share some drinks. She was a real firecracker with an itchy trigger finger.

“I didn’t know you dated Nisha.”

 _“Nisha was her own person. I wouldn’t be surprised if she killed everyone that knew we were dating,”_ he gave a faint smile as if he fondly remembered something about her. 

You soon arrive at a dingy look shack labeled 'Petes Depo’ written in faded white paint. Pete was a shifty guy but you knew he was as loyal as they came for his constituencies making him trustworthy. Entering the building he greeted you like an old friend and allowed you to purchase an array of items from him; A set of battle-class attire, a handful of grenades, ammunition, assortment of rations, basic medical supplies, a shield mod and lastly a Hyperion SMG. Jack had insisted you get the gun seeing it was his brand and he ‘wanted you to use the best’ though you secretly missed your old Dahl SMG. Inspecting the loot, you were in the middle of changing outfits when you heard a commotion outside. Peering out the front door, you could see people scurrying around while others shot their guns only to be dead a moment later. Looking towards where the shots originated from to see a man dress in a full leather gear and adored with a western hat.

“Listen here all you skag-suckers. We got a new lass in town that these fine men are looking for. I expect you all to cooperate in finding her,” he pointed behind him to a line of troops bearing black and red armour. Crimson Lance.

“Shit,” you quickly closed the door before getting the rest of your new gear on and storing all your supplies into a duffle bag. With your SMG drawn, you moved to the back entrance of the shop, ensuring the coast was clear before making your way out and onto the rooftops. The area was covered with different squadrons of Crimson Lance that were clearing out the vicinity, moving building to building as they looked for your whereabouts. You knew that it was only a matter of time till they would find your current location so it was best to get out of here as soon as possible. The nice thing about a town being inside a rocky crag was that it was well fortified from attackers but that also meant there was only one entrance in and out. Knowing that they would have the main entrance on lockdown, you made your way across the rickety rooftops, taking extra caution against making the wrong step that would cause a commotion. As you reached the last building, you jumped to the ground as you looked over the steep cliffside of the town’s edge. Taking a quick breath, you put away your gun, ensured your bag was secured to you before hoisting your legs over the edge. 

_“Whoa, what do you think you're doing?”_ Jack appeared in front of you.

“What does it look like. There's no way out of this place but down.”

_“That’s dangerous [Y/N]!”_

“Well I don’t see you coming up with any better ideas,” you snarled.

Jack paused for a moment making you think that he might try and talk you out of scaling the massive cliffside when you hear him take a deep breath. He crouched down to your level, his eyes were deep with worry but he kept a faint smile on his lips.

_“Just be careful, k?”_

For a brief moment you didn’t have the words, you looked at him with surprise before smirking and giving him a quick nod.

Descending down the massive rocky cliff was probably a bad idea now that you had started but you were pretty sure it was this or get caught by the Crimson Lance, the latter not being an option at all. At one point you had placed your foot down on a rock ledge only for it gave way under you as you clinged to the rock wall as you tried to regain your footing. Steading your breathing, you continued on until you finally reached the flat ground below where you collapsed instantly. What was with you and getting stuck in really high places, you thought as you gave out a breathy chuckle.

 _“Good work there pumpkin. You didn’t die,”_ Jack's face appeared above you.

“You make it sound like you had no faith in me.”

 _“Oh if I had no faith I definitely wouldn’t have let you do that. I would have just told you to jump and save us the trouble,”_ giving you his signature smirk.

“Very funny Jack,” your muscles groaned as you stood back up to your feet. 

Looking around, there was no sign of the Crimson Lance on this side of the crag and with any luck they wouldn’t know to look in this direction as you began to walk off into The Dust.

\--

_“I don’t know about you but walking still sucks.”_

You rolled your eyes at Jack as you wondered if holograms could even get tired. It had been a day and a half since you left Lynchwood and even though this wasn’t your first time you had been forced to walk the sand covered area known as The Dust, you still wish it would be your last. The air was dry as you felt the sun’s rays roast your skin when the roar of an engine brought your attention forward. Running over to the closest rock for cover, you could hear incoherent screams as you watched as an outrunner sped over a nearby sand dune, spinning a round a few times in a circle before driving north. 

“Well then, let’s go see if we can catch a ride.”

Following the outrunner’s tire trail, you walked for a few hours until you spotted the vehicle inside a small bandit encampment. For a moment, you wished you had a sniper rifle as it would have been easy pickings but you figured it shouldn’t be difficult to clear the area out regardless. Taking out your newly acquired SMG, you entered the camp guns blazing as you took out the psychos with ease. All within a few minutes the camp was cleared out as you holster your gun, wiping off some blood that had splattered on your cheek. You missed this, while this camp didn’t pose a challenge, it felt natural to be back on the hunter's path. Gathering up some additional ammo from the area, you made your way towards the outrunner when you heard a high pitched scream behind you. As you turned, you saw a psycho tink soaring through the air as he landed his buzz saw into your shoulder. The blades dug into your skin as you grabbed his small body by the neck, growling as you twisted your grip till you heard a snap. Letting the lifeless body fall to the ground, you pulled out the embedded weapon from your flesh as you hissed at the pain. Quickly retrieving the medical kit out of your bag, you started to clean and cover the wound finding that the new armour had stopped it from digging too deep but cursed yourself for being careless and letting a psycho sneak up on you. With the bandage secure, you placed the kit back as you got into your newly acquired vehicle and started driving off towards the Eridium Blight.

\--

You had found a deserted farmhouse to take shelter for the night as you curled up on an old dusty sofa. Sleep didn’t come to claim you as you tossed and turned with your wondering thoughts. You sighed as you sat up, it was clear you were not going to be able to rest any time soon when your gaze turned to the environment around. This place had been long abandoned as the windows were boarded up but you could see shards of glass strewn across the decrepit floorboards, the smell of rotting wood filled the stagnant air. The elements had not been kind you thought as you turned towards the doorway, spotting something standing there; A lone figure with an ice cold stare that you instantly recognized. You felt your heart rate accelerate as you fell to the floor, scurrying backwards till your back hit the wall as Rhys stood there glaring at you menacingly. Trembling, your breath hitch as the collar still fastened around your neck felt suffocating tight as you gasped for air. Eyes wide in terror, you couldn’t look away from him till a blue specter obscure your vision.

_“Hey hey, It’s ok sweetheart. Just breathe.”_

“He’s here! He’s-” you look past Jack towards the door frame again to see nothing, there was no sign of Rhys anywhere. 

_“No one else is here. It’s just you and me. I promise.”_

“But he was right there. I saw him!”

_“[Y/N] focus on me, ok? You need to breathe. He isn’t here, I would have warned you to run if anyone approached the house.”_

You knew Jack was right, he always kept an eye out while you were resting, you knew by this point you could trust him completely. He ensured that your eyes never left his as you continued to focus, taking deep breaths till you could feel your heart rate begin to slow down. Tears rolled down your cheek as you bit your lip in anger, the nightmares that plagued your dreams were now manifesting themselves into your every waking moment, haunting you with the torment of Rhys.

“I hate this Jack. Look what he has done to me. I- I’m not the same anymore. I’m weak and helpless. I couldn’t even take out a small fucking bandit camp without almost getting my arm chopped off.”

_“Listen here pumpkin, we all make mistakes. Even I have done some kinda of ehhhh things in the past but that doesn’t mean that you are weak. It means that you're strong enough to survive and I need you to stay with me k? We are gonna get through this.”_

You sat for a moment in silence with Jack, he always knew how to make you feel instantly better. It was like he understood you completely and was able to help guide you through your problems without fail. You smiled faintly as you reached out your hand towards him only for it fazed through his body. For once you really wished he wasn’t just a hologram. 

“Ok. Yah your right. I- I don’t think I’m gonna be able any more sleep so let's just head back out and get to Helios.”

\--

By morning’s light you had reached the edge of the Eridium Blight as you continued your way north to the crash site. Jack kept you company as he told you more stories of his past and what Helios was like in its prime. You have never been on the station back in the day due to the fact that you were highly wanted by Hyperion for an assortment of crimes and no contract you were offered gave enough money to take the risk. He told you about the different facilities the station housed, the advanced technology Hyperion had at its disposal, and maybe overemphasized a little about his office. It made you kinda regret never trying to sneak onboard when you had the chance. 

As you continued your drive on the rocky surface, you were caught off guard by a _pop_ as the engine spewed out dark smoke violently. Pulling over, you vaulted out of the vehicle and began to inspect the engine bay as Jack joined you.

_“Looks like the engine overheated. We might make it a bit farther but not by much.”_

_“_ I’m pretty sure there is a garage just ahead so we can look at getting it repaired. Hopefully it will last till then.”

When you arrived at the garage, the outrunner was struggling as you parked it outside. The building was your typical Pandora garage, rusted and decayed as different scrap metal and junk surrounded the vicinity. Stepping into the main office, you found it to be dimly lit as the only light source was coming from the small cracks between the window blinds as you spotted an older man at the other end of the room.

“What can I do for you missy?”

“I need a repair done for my outrunner. Are you able to accommodate?”

“Aye, I can get my boys to fix it for yah so long as you got the cash,” he flashed a toothy grin at you as you narrowed your eyes. Paying him, he nods before heading out a side door and yelling at his slack-jawed workers to get a move on. 

Running a hand though your hair, you sighed as you noticed how exhausted you were with the lack of sleep the last few nights. Figuring it would take a while, you found a relatively clean spot on the floor as you laid your back against the wall. As you closed your eyes you allowed your muscles to relax as you drifted off silently. It wasn't till some time had passed that you awoke to Jack’s voice filling your head.

_“[Y/N] wake up! We've got trouble."_

Getting up quickly, you moved the blinds aside to see a horde of technicals blocking the main road as Crimson Lance soldiers began to pile out and surround the garage. Cursing under your breath, you look over to see the old man still at his counter as you hastily pick him up by the shirt and forcefully shove him against the wall.

“You sold me out?” it wasn’t a question, closer to a threat as you could see him squirm in your grip.

"Business is tight. With all the bandits now I- I needed the money. Please, please don’t hurt me."

It was too late. Your eyes were filled with hatred as you pulled out your gun, shooting him dead. Jack watched you with his arms folding in front, giving you a smug look of satisfaction as you stood there filled with rage.

“Bounty hunter [Y/N]. Come out with your hands up and surrender," a voice boomed through the building from a loud speaker outside.

 _“What now?”_ Jack spoke to get your attention.

Peering through the blinds again, you confirmed that they currently surrounded the area leaving you no way of escape but as your gaze surveyed the rows of soldiers you saw the familiar dark garbed assassin, Zer0 was standing among their ranks.

“I guess we don’t have an option. I’m not going back without a fight.”

_“Go get ’em cupcake.”_

Giving him a reassuring nod, you loaded a new clip into the SMG and headed out the door. The sounds of men lifting their guns in your direction rang out as you walked out into the open yard. Surrounded on all sides, you keep your gaze forward where you saw a commanding officer who was barking orders at you.

“Drop the weapon and surrender peacefully.”

You didn’t move, your gaze was fixed on the assassin beside him.

“I said dro-” Zer0’s arm reached out in front of him, interrupting him. 

“Leave this one to me. / We have unfinished business. / I will see it done.”

Zer0 walked forward into the space as he pulled out his combat rifle.

“A neat trick last time. / An interesting tactic. / It will not work twice.”

 _“He’s not lying sweetheart. I can’t access his subsystems anymore,”_ Jack stood beside you as he surveyed the battlefield. 

Your grip tightened on your gun as you thought about what would happen if you lost. What if Zer0 won? You already had trouble with fighting off just bandits so how could you possibly beat someone as strong as him? Jack wasn’t gonna be able to save you this time. Your hands began to shake a little as your knuckles turned white. Jack noticed it as he turned his gaze from you to Zer0.

_“Don’t worry. You got this.”_

That was all you needed to hear as you sprinted forward to a demolished car for cover as you saw Zer0 do the same. You exchanged fire at each other for a time, neither of you moving from your respected position. Taking out one of your grenades you pulled the pin as you tossed it at Zer0, he bolted as you fired upon him, narrowing avoiding your bullets. Your ECHO eye picked up an odd shift as Zer0 stood up from his cover, quickly shooting at his head you noticed that he acted unfazed, as if the bullets were passing right through him. It was a decoy as you turned quickly to see the real Zer0 now at your flank opening up a barrage of bullets in your direction. Running across the yard you could hear the shots ping off your shield as the meter began to drain. Loading your last clip of ammo into your gun, you fired back as Zer0 who dodged for cover, giving you enough time to slide behind a pile of scrap metal. Catching your breath, you peered around the corner as bullet flew close to your face, Zer0 was currently walking in your direction with his gun locked onto your position. You could hear his faint footsteps get closer and closer as you looked down at your now empty gun. This was it huh? Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you knew it was only a matter of time Zer0 was on top of you. Gritting your teeth, you dropped the gun to the floor.

 _“What are you doing kiddo? You need to keep fighting,”_ Jack hovered beside you. 

You knew that, you knew that this couldn't be the end but the gun would only weigh you down.

“ _[Y/N]!”_

You couldn’t hear Jack screaming behind you as you sprinted out of your cover at full speed towards Zer0. Blood was pumping rapidly through your veins as you watched him holster his weapon and reach for his sword. Though this time he was too slow as you had closed the distance faster that he anticipated landing a punch straight to his jaw. His grip fell from his sword as it clattered to the ground. You continued to assault Zer0, your attacks were relentless as you tried to bash your way through his defenses. Landing a few good hits onto him, you felt yourself grow a little tired as you let your arm swing wide allowing Zer0 an opportunity to land a blow right to the area he had previously kicked you. Recoiling backwards, you stumbled landing on one of your knees, breathing heavily as you fought through the pain. Zer0 was now advancing in your direction to close the gap when you felt something beside your leg. As he approached, he reached down to grab you as you quickly picked up his sword and slashed him across the chest as you stood up. The blow sliced through his shield as blood began to ooze out the newly open wound. He toppled over onto the ground as you stood in front of him, his breathing stagger as he held onto his chest tightly. Dropping his sword in front of him he looked at it for a moment before gazing up at you. You showed no expression as you crouched down towards him.

“You want to know why I had to hurt Rhys? Why he wants me back so bad?” your voice was eerily calm.

Tilting your head up slightly, you showed Zer0 the cold metal that hung around your neck, hearing a light gasp leave his helmet as he recognized the device.

“He kept me bound to his whim. I wasn’t allowed to leave his side. When I fought back I was only met with pain. Luckily, I found some help that allowed me to leave and I plan to pay them back in kind.”

Standing back up, you towered over him as he looked back down to the floor. Your gaze left his body as you looked forward towards the multiple Crimson Lance soldiers standing on the outskirts. They all stood there in awe from watching your duel, unsure of what to do.

“So I’ll say it again. Rhys can’t have me.”

You brow knitted as you stepped around Zer0 and started walking towards the line of troops. They all began to panic as they raised their guns towards you, seeing them visibly shake in fear. None made an attempt to move as you stood in front of their commanding officer, your eyes shooting dagger into his visor. Standing in silence, you both stood your ground till he raised his hand to the air.

“Let her through,” he ordered as you saw the line of soldiers shuffle before parting a pathway out. Your lips curled as you walked past him and into the mass of soldiers, noticing some flitch out of the way. You continued on as you secured one of their technicals, turning on the engine and driving off into the distance.

\--

Your car ride was quiet even though you could see the faint blue glow of Jack sitting beside you. Neither of you said a word as you watched the sun’s light disappear and stars begin to twinkle and shine in the night’s sky.

_“[Y/N].”_

“Jack, if you're going to yell at me for being reckless then I don’t want to hear it. I already had enough with people telling me that.” 

_“No it's not that. I just-”_ , his voice cut off as he sighed deeply, _“Honestly I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. Watching you fight is, well let's just say I could watch you blast bandit douchebags into tiny little pieces all day.”_

He gave you a light chuckle before he dropped his smirk and continued.

_“But I also was scared. Scared of you dying. Scared of you ending back in Rhys’s arms. I would have hated myself knowing that I couldn’t do anything to stop him from hurting you again.”_

Slamming on the brakes, the vehicle grinded to a halt as you looked over at Jack. You knew that feeling, that feeling of being so helpless but as you watched him, his face turned from self sorrow to a genuine smile as he looked directly into your eyes.

_“When this is all over pumpkin. I want you to promise me something.”_

“What?” your voice was so light you barely heard yourself.

_“That you will continue to fight on, no matter what happens.”_

\--

It was dark when you reached the landing site of the once glorious Helios Station. It now laid to ruin in a mass of twisted metal that was strewn in all directions. Searching the vehicle, you found a small flashlight that aided you in surveying the area. Everything seemed fairly quiet with no indication of recent activity. 

“So what are we looking for here Jack?” 

_“We need to find the Research and Development section of the station. It was located under my office so I think we should find that first.”_

Making your way through the carnage, you found that a few paths were already cleared from people most likely looting any valuables as you continued on for several minutes. Some parts were more challenging than others as you squeezed your body through some narrow spaces but it wasn’t until you crawled through the cab of an over flipped car that you spotted a giant statue of Handsome Jack now shattered on the ground. Behind it, you could see the room opened up into what you thought would have been Jack’s office based on his description. The main platform contained a broken desk, a bright yellow chair and a large pane of glass protruding out from the earth as you watched Jack appear before it.

_“You know, this used to have the most amazing view of Elpis. I wish you could have seen it.”_

Standing beside him you looked out to only see the similar view of rock and contorted metals. Turning to Jack you could see his face looked calm as he reminisced about the past.

“Jack, you said Rhys did this right?”

 _“He did. He took down the station and everyone with it. He did everything in his power to try and kill me but it looks like he couldn’t follow through with it in the end.”_ He looked at you with a soft gaze, _“come on pumpkin, the R &D shouldn’t be far from here.”_

Jack led you down some more winding corridors until you reached a door marked ‘Lab 19’. The door was still sealed tight but you could see scratches littered its face from people attempting to force their way in.

_“The labs were always locked under high security, even had their own backup generators in case of emergency. Why do you try the panel over there to see if it's still running.”_

You turn to see the panel he was pointing to, reaching your hand down it lit up to your proximity. Jack recited a long string of keys as you entered them, the door chimed at your command as it jaggedly open. The chamber beyond was dark as you followed Jack inside, stepping past the door's threshold a set of emergency lights revealing a space overflowing with different machines and equipment scattered around from the crash. Jack walked forward with purpose as you trail behind, only stopping till you both stood in front of a large capsule-like machine with a door on the front marked with the words ‘New-U’ painted in bold yellow paint. 

_“This is it. Ready to pay me back for saving you?”_

“Of course, what do you need?”

_“You see that console over there? I want you to power it up and plug your ECHO eye into it.”_

“What? But why?” your thoughts turned dark when you thought about him leaving.

_“Don’t think about it too hard pumpkin. Besides we got this far so no turning back now.”_

Exhaling deeply, your shoulders slumped as you stared back at Jack. You didn’t know what would happen when you plugged the ECHO eye into the machine but it was your turn to keep your promise and you knew you wouldn’t stop at nothing to fulfill it. Searching around, you found a discarded tool that you carefully brought up to your ECHO eye, applying pressure you felt the sting of pain as it popped from the socket. Pulling the eye out farther you took a hold of the wires, ready to disconnect them when you looked back at Jack’s blue holographic image.

“ _I'll see you soon sweetheart,”_ he gave you a wink as he waited patiently.

Separated the wires, Jack vanished before you as the room felt cold. He was gone, it had been so long since you truly were alone and the space felt deafening. Looking down at the small disc now laying in your hand, you couldn’t help but feel a little bit empty now as the light in its center pulsed [F/C]. He did say he would see you again, maybe you just needed to trust his words that they would be true. Turning your focus back to the task, you restored power to the console as a light buzzing noise filled the air. Taking the ECHO eye, you plugged into an access port located on the front as you waited to see what happened next. After a few moments nothing seemed to happen as you began to worry you did something wrong when the lights began to dim around you. The ground shook violently as the machine sparked to life, metal beams began to dislodged from their resting place as they crashed down around you. Lose wires sparked to life as you quickly dodge out of the way and took refuge under a nearby desk. The sound emanating from the machine grew thunderous as you had to place your hands over your ears and as abruptly as it all happened it stopped, the room became silent once again as the ground settled. Standing up, the room was dark except for fractals of light that radiated from the capsule door. Cautiously you step forward when a large hiss makes you stop in your tracks, the door slowly swung open as steam and blinding light filled the room. Shielding your eyes, you tried to adjust your vision as you heard faint footsteps heading towards you.

“Did you miss me?”

That voice. You felt a hand grip your wrist tightly but not enough to cause pain as your back was forcefully pushed against the nearby wall. Gasping by surprise, you felt someone hold you firmly against their body as their other hand gently landed on your waist. Looking up, you could see the portrait of a face you were all too familiar with now, it was Jack and he wasn’t a hologram. 

His lips curled into his signature smirk as he leaned in close to you, his body heat radiated onto yours, his touches sent small sparks that danced on your skin and as you stood there frozen underneath him all you could focus on was his mix-matched blue and green eyes. 

“J-Jack? But how?”

“With the miracle of science kiddo. Plus a butt load of cash.”

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you do this before when you were here with Rhys if you could come back to life?”

“Well you see, when Rhys first brought me to Helios I had a brilliant idea of creating a whole robot army of myself. It would have been fricking sweet but I would have needed to keep my A.I. self in order to make new robots. But this machine, it consumes the A.I. core in order to restore me back to my original state.”

As you listen to his explanation, you had a hard time comprehending what he was saying. This was a dream right? How else would Jack be here in the flesh. Reaching out with your free hand to his chest you noted how unlike the previous time your hand did not go through him but instead was met by a solid mass.

“Besides,” he leaned in closer to your face, “I think you probably could only handle one of me anyways.”

You felt your heart stop a million times over, the moment Jack’s lips touched yours the world around you vanished instantly. They were tender to the touch but his kiss was not innocent, it was hot, fiery, passionate and demanding. Heat rose from your stomach as his tongue swiped at your lips, allowing him entry you fought for dominance but he was clearly in control. He pulled away slightly as you both breathed heavily, your foreheads touching as you stood there in bliss.

“I’ve been waiting a looong time to do that.”

You chuckled at his remark as you held a smile on your lips, you realized now that you had wanted the same thing. For him to be here with you, to feel his skin against yours, to keep going on crazy adventures together as you battled your way through any problem. You admired his face for a time till you saw a single faint blue light at the other end of the room appear. Turning your gaze to it, Jack noticed your shift in focus as he turned around to see what had stolen your attention from him. Suddenly a wave of pain enveloped you as volts of electricity course through your body. Screaming in agony you fell to the ground as Jack caught you in his arms.

“[Y/N],’ Jack shouted as he held you close. 

The aftershocks continued to ripple through your body as you could hear the footsteps of a figure getting closer. What appeared from the shadows you made you frozen in terror as Jack's grip tightened harshly, Rhys was now standing there with his arms clasped behind his back, his ice cold stare was upon you as a new blue ECHO eye shined in the darkness.

“I should have known you had help [Y/N] but I would have never guessed it would have been Jack of all people.”

“Rhys,” Jack growled, “You stay the hell away from her.”

“I guess this explains why you left after all. Jack made you turn against me. He took you away from me.”

“No, that was your own damn doing.”

Rhys’s gaze fell towards Jack, “I was keeping her safe. I stopped her from getting hurt.”

“You can't change who she is. You can’t just lock her away.”

“Jack. Buddy. Let’s be real, how can you say that when you yourself locked your own daughter away.”

Jack's face dropped when Rhys mentioned his daughter, he had never told you who it was that he kept confined in his past but you could see the sorrow return to his eyes. He took a deep breath as he placed you down, leaning up against the wall. 

“I’ve had a long time to think about it. The things that I’ve done. The things that should have never happened. But for once Rhysie, this isn’t about me.” Jack stood up tall as he placed himself between you and Rhys, “after all you really are no better than me. You are still breaking down everything around you to build it back up in your image. Just like I said you would all those years ago.”

Rhys eyes flashed anger at Jack as both men stood their ground. You watched as Rhys mechanical arm gripped tightly as he suddenly surged forward at Jack. The two men exchanged blows as you tried to stand up only to find your muscles would not follow your commands. You watched in distress as they continued to spar against one another but after a time you could see that Jack was gaining the upper hand. Knocking Rhys to the ground, he towered over him as Rhys propped himself up on his forearms, giving off a low growl. 

“I should kill you for everything you have done. For ruining [Y/N] life and for all the lives you ruined on Helios but I’m not gonna, because that’s what heroes do. So listen carefully Rhys because I’m not one to repeat myself. Leave and never come back.”

Jack stared down at Rhys’s weakened body before he turned back to you and helped you up to your feet. With an arm around his shoulder, he hoisted you up as you saw Rhys slightly shift as he reached behind him.

“Jack, look out!”

A single gun shot rang out as a burst of pain exploded in your chest. You had managed to push Jack out of the line of fire just in time but only for you to take the bullet instead. Collapsing into Jack’s arms, he pulled you close as blood began to darken your clothes.

“No no no, you can’t die. [Y/N] hold on, please hold on.”

You felt Jack’s hand cradle your face as you gazed up at him. You watched as his eyes threaten to shed tears while you gave him a faint smile before the world turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. This is my first fanfic I have decided to post so please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> This chapter took me a bit longer to write so I hope it lives up to the expectations. Most likely the finally chapter will take a bit longer as well so stay tuned.


	5. The Final Stand

Darkness. The inky black void that held nothing was infinite and absolute. It enveloped you, clinging to every inch of yourself as you stood within its blackened sea. Your skin felt numb as you inspected your hands before you, aware that everything in this realm is empty. You questioned if this place was truly barren than what did that make you? Were you anything in the first place? Or were you only an extension to the darkness around you. Abruptly, your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices filling the void. As you try to pinpoint the source, they echoed in all directions as the feeling of hot searing pain enclose around your neck.

_It looks exquisite on you._

Reaching up, your hands felt the heat radiating off the mark that now branded your flesh. Inch by inch it began to spread down your body as you hissed at the pain. 

_Still not going to cooperate [Y/N]?_

Collapsing to your knees you watched as the mark twisted its way through your skin, burning till the pain was too much to bear. A scream left your quivering lips as tears began to cloud your vision. 

_Show me you can behave._

The only thing that existed in this realm was pain, the raw sensation of torment that coursed through you with no end in sight. It choked the breath from your lungs as your body became completely paralyzed to its will. There was no other thought than the scorching agony it gave you.

_Just don’t give up yet. Can you do that for me pumpkin?_

That voice. It was different as it whispered into your ear, your vision snapping forward. The pain pulsed inside you, grabbing your attention once more.

_Don’t worry sweetheart, I got you._

You bit your lip, each time it spoke you could feel the heat begin to fade as the mark lost its grip on your skin.

_You will continue to fight on, no matter what happens._

Focusing on the voice, your tears began to dry as the mark dissipated from your body, leaving no trace of its existence. Standing once more, you look out into the empty darkness.

“Jack.”

\--

The sound of a machine beeping compelled you awake, light filled your vision as you squinted to its intrusion. You found yourself in a small room draped in white walls as you laid in a bed that took up the majority of the space. Your body felt stiff as you shifted lightly, a muted pain residing in your chest. Turning your head, your eye spotted the figure of Jack sitting across the room in a chair. He was hunched over an ECHO Unit in his hands as he concentrated on the display. 

“Jack?”

His gaze quickly snapped up to you in surprise as you gave him a faint smile. Placing down his ECHO, he promptly moved to sit beside as he clasped your hand.

“Hey sweetheart, how do you feel?”

“Weak and helpless, but I’ll survive.”

He chuckled lightly as he rubbed the back of your hand, “you really know how to make a man worry.”

“Where are we?”

“I brought you to Opportunity. You've been out for about two weeks now.”

Shocked by how long he said you were unconscious, you quickly realized the Opportunity was located across Pandora’s Northwest Coast from Helios, it would have been a while for Jack to get you here and seek proper medical help. You thought about the moments that brought you here when you suddenly remembered.

“And Rhys?”

“He’s gone. That is to say that the skag licking coward got away but don’t worry you're safe here,” giving you a reassuring smile. 

Letting out a heavy breath, you closed your eye knowing that Jack wouldn’t lie to you, if he said you were safe then it was true. 

Spending the next few days recovering, Jack continued to spend time in your room as he worked over his ECHO Unit. Timid workers would enter from time to time as they handed him papers to sign before they would promptly scurry out again. Jack told you all about his heroic adventure of bring you here and how he regained full control over Hyperion by ‘resigning’ any board member that didn’t favor the decision. On the third day, the attending doctor gave you the ok to be discharged as the bullet wound had healed up and your strength had improved. Changing into some casual clothes that Jack had brought you, you noticed something missing when pulling over your shirt.

“What happened to the collar?”

“Little slow there pumpkin? I had it removed a while back. Nothing that I couldn’t handle.”

Instantly wrapping your arms around Jack, you buried your head into his shoulder. You felt tears begin to swell at the side of your eye as you mumbled praises and thanks to him over and over for removing the final constraint that had kept you in constant fear. He stood there motionless for a moment before his arms encased around you, his chin resting beside your head. His embrace was warm as he pulled you close, his strong arms held you in place as you softened at his touch. He gently squeezed you before letting go with one hand and reached behind him.

“Here, I got something else for you.” 

He presented to you a small black box that when opened revealed a new ECHO eye that glowed [F/C]. You giggled at the similarity of how you found the ECHO eye that contained Jack originally. 

“What? You don’t like it?”

“No, but I figured you of all people would have made it Hyperion yellow.”

“Not gonna lie, I did think about it,” he leaned in close till his lips brushed against yours, “but I don’t think I want to change anything about you.”

With your new eye in place, Jack led you out of the medical ward into the streets of Opportunity. You recalled back when Jack was still first alive that you had snuck your way into the city’s limits to steal some prototype technology after Vault Hunters had crippled the city’s defenses. Back then the city was still under construction with workers and cranes bustling around but now it was an established metropolis filled with skyscrapers and Hyperion branding in all directions. You were surprised at how many civilians were walking about when Jack told you how after the fall of Helios many workers who survived made their way here. While it wasn't exactly what he had envisioned when first creating the city he noted that it was always meant to be a safe haven from the dangers of Pandora.

Taking you through the districts, Jack spent some time showing you the Living Legend Plaza. It held countless art displays of his heroic deeds that he was all too happy to recount for you, even expressing how mildly irritating it was to fix all the statues that the Vault Hunters had cut down during their rampage. Lastly on his tour he brought you to his acquired office, it was a modest sized room that held a large desk in the center, two guest chairs in front while a large yellow leather bound chair was placed behind. The room was adorned with a vast number of Hyperion branded décor paying homage to the great Handsome Jack but there was also a number of boxes filled with different documentation scattered around. Making his way through, Jack sat behind the desk as he spread his arms out wide. 

“This is it, I finally have it all back. And this time I'm not going to make the same mistakes."

Walking past his desk, you stood in front of a large window overlooking the Waterfront District. The view highlighted the enormous lake that surrounded the city while you eyed the different civilians and loader bots attending to their business on the port.

“This time it's gonna be different. I'm done trying to save this bandit infested planet. Done dealing with the Vaults and their greedy little hunters. I am going to bring Hyperion back to where it belongs.”

“And what does that involve?”

“Glad you asked cupcake because the first step is getting off this nacho-flavored shithole of a planet. I’ve already gone ahead and established plans for a new Helios space station that's gonna be even better than the original.”

Looking over your shoulder, you could see Jack pull out a large blueprint that covered his entire desk. It contained some depictions of the late Helios Stations designs with some scribbles that highlight key areas and alterations Jack wanted. Turning back to the window, he continued on.

“That being said, reconstructing Helios is bound to bring some attention my way and I still have lots of enemies that would all be too happy to sink a bullet into me once they find out that I am back on top. I’m gonna need someone capable to watch my back for me.”

He stood beside you as he placed a hand around your waist, pulling you close till your side was flush with his. 

"I won't force you to stay sweetheart. I know you don’t want to be tied down to another company but I will ask you all the same. Will you help me?"

“Your right. I don’t want to be contracted by another company,“ you felt his grip loosen at your words. You turned towards him, his expression was neutral but as you gazed into his mix-matched eyes you could see the slight sting of worry behind them. “But I would help you Jack. Plus it would be a shame if you just died after I spent all that effort to bring you back.”

His eye narrowed at you as a grin overtook his face. With his hand on the small of your back, he pulled you into his chest as his other hand gently lifted up your chin.

“I knew I could count on you pumpkin.”

\--

Jack made sure to keep you busy as you perform various tasks around Opportunity. Most were not very exciting, helping with various paper work or dealing with troublesome employees but he always made sure you didn’t feel out. He sometimes would take you outside the city limits to practice shooting on the local bandit and wildlife populations where you would often make bets on who could do the best trick shot. Working for Jack felt similar to when you first worked at Atlas, it was still a far cry from the duties you would perform as a bounty hunter but you felt content enough to stay.

Sitting in one of Jack’s office chair, you were currently reading some random posts on a ECHOnet forum while Jack was busy shifting through paperwork when a light tapping came from the office door. 

“Yah, what do you want?” Jack called out from behind his desk.

The door opened a sliver as a nervous employee stepped inside. He quickly walked his way up towards Jack’s desk as he held out a stack of papers towards him.

“Excuse me s-sir. But I have the latest intel report on your competitors for your review.”

“Great. Thanks kiddo." Taking the papers from him, Jack stared down at them for a moment before noticing the employee hadn’t left.

“Well? What are you waiting for? If you don't get out of my office right now I'll feed your organs to starving puppies.”

You watched as the employee gulped before running out of Jack’s office with his tail between his legs. “Would you actually do that?”

“Naw. Probably not. Maybe. I do have a reputation to uphold. Got to keep those slack-jawed idiots on their toes.”

Rolling your eyes, you turned back to your ECHO Unit as you continued to read until Jack cursed under his breath.

“That little weasel! I swear to god if I ever see him again I am so gonna enjoy strangling his scrawny neck with my bare hands."

“What wrong?”

“Looks like our boy Rhysie has asked the Crimson Raiders for help in your capture. Plus letting them know about my resurrection which means that we are now most likely one of their top priorities.”

This was bad. The Crimson Raiders were the ones that took down Handsome Jack when he originally went mad with power. A well known group of trained Vault Hunters and with the constant news of their victories against the Calypso Twins it was apparent that your defenses in Opportunity wouldn’t be enough to hold up against their assault. Jack let out a deep breath as he massaged his temples with his fingers. 

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag so why don’t we pay him back in kind,” a smirk crossing his lips.

You gave Jack a questionable look as he took out his ECHO Unit before straightening his appearance and giving you a wink.

“How's it going? Handsome Jack here. I know all you ECHOnet users must have missed me oh so much and I would love to catch up but that’s not the reason I am here today. You see, my old buddy Rhys over at Atlas decided that he was too scared to fight me on his own and thus has employed the help of the Crimson Raiders to come rescue poor [Y/N] from my clutches. Well kiddos I got a newsflash for yah, she is here on her own free will to get away from that double crossing jaggoff. So get your facts straight because if you think for a second that I would let Rhysie get his dirty little monkey paws on her again you are sorely mistaken. Ciao.”

Sitting there stunned in silence, you watched as Jack finished the ECHOnet broadcast. Leaning back into his chair, he combed through his hair with his fingers before focusing his gaze upon you.

“Guess it's time we look at bolstering our defenses.”

\--

Knowing that Rhys was back on the hunt, you made sure to keep close to Jack at all times. Never leaving his side, you figured that if the situation ever did arise where you had to defend yourself against the Crimson Raiders you would rather be fighting alongside him than be caught out alone. Jack had also ordered his workers to doubling up the city's defenses with the inclusion of new line loader bot units. You worried about what would happen when the outside world found out Jack was creating another sizable army. Would that come sooner to stop him? Would they even come at all? It was true that Jack in the past was feared by all but you knew that this time was different; He wasn’t looking to conquer, he was looking to protect. 

But being safe also meant you were trapped again. While you were no longer caged in a single room with the threat of relentless pain, you never went past the city's walls. Only going where Jack needed to be which oftentimes was just his office and living quarters. Spending most of your days gazing out the window towards the lake, you wished that things were different. What would have happened if you never left Pandora? Would you still be out there bounty hunting if you did? Or maybe you would have alright died by the hands of the numerous bandits infesting the planet. As you place a hand on the widow, your shoulders lowered slightly as you exhale the thoughts that continue to plague your mind.

“Come here pumpkin,” the sound of Jack’s chair squeaked lightly as he turned towards you.

Taking his outreach hand, he pulled you into his lap as you laid into his firm chest. His arms wrapped around you as you felt calm in his presence.

“I know this is not ideal [Y/N] but you're starting to make me feel bad. You need to relax sweetheart. Handsome Jack is here and he won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I’m not sure you are one to give advice on that topic. Your method of killing those who piss you off to unwind doesn’t seem very effective.”

“Well those dimwits down in engineering finally got the message at least. My new line of murder bots is finally up and running. Plus the groundwork for the new Helios station is underway meaning in a few months time we will be able to get away from here as far as we want.” He lifted an eyebrow at you, “but maybe you're right. Maybe we both need something to help de-stress in the meantime.”

There wasn’t a moment of hesitation as his lips descended onto yours. Little shivers of pleasure shot through you as he deepened his kiss. Digging your fingers into his hair, he groaned at your touch as he began to explore your body. Placing a hand on your hip, the sensation of sparks glided across your skin as he lifted your shirt and made contact with your flesh. Everything about Jack was intoxicating, his egocentric charm, the smells of cologne that lingered on him, even the small glances he made towards you when he thinks you are not looking. You couldn’t help but want everything and more from the man that had saved you in your time of need. Leaving your mouth, he leaned down closer to your neck as he whispered into your skin.

“You're perfect.”

As you felt yourself melt in his arms, he continued to give you praise as he left small markings along your neck, a warning to others that you were his. Basking under his affection, you knotted a fist into his shirt when suddenly the office shook with a low rumble. Releasing your grip form one another, you both stood on high alert as your gaze turned to the grand spectacle outside the office window. In the distance you could see an enormous ray of purple light now shooting out from the planet’s surface, engulfing the whole moon of Elpis.

Staring out in wonder, your mind raced as you tried to explain what it was you were witnessing but you fell short as you had never seen anything like it. You contemplated if this was something to do with the Crimson Raiders when you felt Jack’s hand interlock with yours. Turning your attention to him, his grip tightened as you could see his features convey something unlike anything you had seen before from Handsome Jack. For the first time ever, he looked afraid.

\--

Jack was beginning to tear himself apart. He explained to you how the new tether that held onto Elpis was similar to that of a siren's power, meaning that someone was messing with vaults. He felt conflicted as he knew that being on Pandora when the vault opened would only spell disaster but also knowing that if you left Opportunity that it would leave you practically defenseless against Crimson Raiders. You deliberated for hours discussing all your options till it was agreed upon that leaving was the best course of action. The new Helios station was only at the beginning of its construction meaning that you would have to leave everything behind. It was a risk but from what Jack told you about the vault monsters and what they were capable of it was the right move. 

Jack began to set up evacuation measures as you left his office to get a few cups of coffee for the long evening ahead of you. As you walked down the tranquil hallway, the silence was suddenly interrupted by your ECHO Unit ringing. Picking it up from your belt, you looked at the display to find you did not recognize the caller.

“Who is this and how do you know this frequency?”

_“Easy there killer. Names Lilith.”_

Dread instantly filled your mind as she spoke her name. Lilith, Commander of the Crimson Raiders, Firehawk, Slayer of Handsome Jack; Her titles were endless as you knew full well of her accomplishments. She was a veteran Vault Hunter, a siren and someone who Rhys had recently asked for help to collect you. 

“I don’t know what you want Lilith but leave us alone.”

 _“Please just listen, I’m not here to threaten you. There are more pressing matters that-”_ , you heard her pause. _“That I need your help with. But I’d rather talk in person and I want to see him with my own eyes.”_

She was referring to Jack. After all she was there when he died in that god forsaken volcano all those years ago.

“No, I won't let you near him.”

_“[Y/N], I know you're on Pandora. I know you can see what the Calypso Twins are currently doing to Elpis. They want to open the Great Vault and if they do then there will be nowhere safe left in this universe.”_

“And how can I know you won't just kill Jack again and drag me back to Rhys instead?”

_“You don’t.”_

She was right. There was no way to tell if she was lying, but as you pondered on her words you couldn’t help but feel that something bad was happening. Would there really be no safe place left? 

“I-”, you let out a heavy sigh, “I’m gonna need to talk to Jack first.”

_“Alright but make it quick. We don’t have much time.”_

Hanging up the call, you swiftly turned back around into Jack’s office. The door swung open faster that you intended as you stood in the doorway with your hand gripping the door handle harshly. You could already feel Jack’s gaze upon you as you clearly were in distress. 

“We got a problem Jack.”

Closing the door, you quickly told Jack about your impromptu call with Lilith as you saw his features darken. Slamming his hands down onto his desk papers dispersed in all directions as he gritted his teeth.

“That little bitch. I figured she would come soon or later but she is using this as a cover to get closer to us.”

“What if she is telling the truth. What if there won’t be any safe place in the universe to go?”

“She is obviously lying.”

“Jack. I think we should hear her out.”

Stepped around his desk, he marched towards you. His eyes were menacing as he pushed you up against the door, looming over your body. You didn’t flinch when a fist impacted beside your head.

“Are you serious? Do you even hear yourself right now? It’s clearly a trap [Y/N]!”

“Trap or not, I think it's worth meeting her. I will go alone if I have to.”

“Like hell you are.”

“Or what? You're going to lock me away too!”

He physically recoiled as you immediately regretted using that argument against him. His gaze turned to the side as he lifted a hand to cover his face.

“I’m sorry sweetheart. I- I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” you grabbed his hand as you gently pulled it away from his face. “I’m sorry too Jack but I have a feeling whatever is happening outside is big. I’m scared that if we don’t hear her out and they fail at stopping the Calypso Twins- I honestly don’t think we are ready to face whatever they unleash from the Vault ourselves.”

You could see the flash of anger still in his eyes but also a bit of understanding was behind them as you gave him a reassuring smile. “I promise you Jack, I won’t leave your side. We will keep each other safe.”

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before placing his forehead against yours.

“Alright. I trust you cupcake. But Lilith comes here. Alone.”

\--

Sending a message back to Lilith, you gave her an access code to a fast travel station at the gates of Opportunity, warning her to come alone and unarmed. As you waited at the station flanked by two loader bots, the machine sparked to life as Lilith now stood before you. She was close to what thought she would look like based on Jack's description but you noted one key detail, there weren’t any siren tattoos on her left arm. 

“Good to finally meet you bounty hunter.”

“Likewise. You came unarmed?”

“Check me if you want but I’m not here to fight. I just want to talk.”

Quickly walking around her figure, you didn’t see any visible signs of a gun or any weapon you demand could be a threat. Nodding, you signal the loader bots to follow as you made your way with Lilith into Jack’s office. As you both entered, Jack was leaning back in his chair with one leg crossed as he glared at her, a pistol was clearly visible within arm's reach of him.

“So it’s true then. You are back from the grave.”

“Can’t keep the king down baby. But cut to the chase because if it was up to me you would be dead the moment you stepped into Opportunity.”

Lilith stood in front of Jack’s desk while you walked around to stand at Jack’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Right. I’ve come to ask for Hyperion’s and [Y/N]’s help in our final assault against the Calypso Twins.”

”And why in the hell would we do that?”

“Because I know you're scared Jack. We’ve already noticed you bulking up your forces. It was only going to be a matter of time till we would come to stop your reign of terror again right?” You could feel Jack’s muscles tense from her words, “but I want to negotiate with you. The Calypso’s threaten not just Pandora but the whole universe. If they succeed, all life will end.”

“You think traitorous scum like you can just waltz into my office and threaten me but yet plead for help? Oh you have another thing coming kiddo. You see even if you convinced me to help you, you’re still working alongside those Atlas dipshits. I won't let them or you take [Y/N] back.”

Lilith look away for a split second, she went to speak before stopping herself and turning her gaze back.

“When Rhys asked us to retrieve [Y/N] we didn’t confirm that we would help since the Calypso’s are the main priority. But when Zer0 heard about the request he came to me personally and told me some... disturbing news that he had discovered.” Her eyes turned to you, “I’ve also come to find out if those are also true.”

Staring back, you were unsure what to say. Should you tell her? Would it even matter? Thinking about the pain and torment you went through at the hands of Rhys you grip on Jack's shoulder tightened till you felt him reach over and placed a hand over yours. Taking a deep breath, you calmed yourself as you told her the truth. 

“Rhys kept me confined to his control. I only escaped with the help of Jack.”

“I was really hoping that rumour wasn’t true,” a sigh left her lips. “So here is my proposition. Help us assault the Calypso’s stronghold and defend against the psycho followers while our Vault Hunters stop the vault from opening. In exchange the Crimson Raiders won't agree to Rhys’s request and will also help in any recovery efforts if it was ever needed.”

“And what about Jack?” your voice was cold.

“Based on our past he can’t be trusted. As soon as this threat of the Calypso Twins is over we would be watching your every move. If you ever did anything to threaten Pandora we-”

“Once Helios is back online we're leaving,” Jack interrupted her as he stared daggers at Lilith. 

“Then I guess we will see when Helios is ready.”

Silence filled the room as you contemplated your options. You didn’t think that Lilith was lying and if you wanted to help Jack in rebuilding Hyperion your best bet would be staying on Pandora and seeing the station to completion. Giving Jack’s hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement, you could hear him audibly exhale.

“Alright cupcake I get it,” as he waved you off. “You got yourself a deal Lilith, now I suggest you leave my city before I change my mind."

Giving a quick smirk, you escort Lilith out of the office back to the fast travel station. The sound of heavy loader bot steps fill the vacant hallway behind you till you hear Lilith speak up.

“So. You and Jack huh?”

“Is it that surprising? Kinda hard to ignore a guy who saves your life from insufferable torment.”

“Yah I get you there. Just promise me one thing, killer. That Jack will keep to his word and leave Pandora.”

“Don’t worry, we will. Just make sure you don't break our deal. Jack can be cruel but I am unforgiving."

\--

With a platoon of Hyperion Loader bots, you and Jack landed outside the C.O.V. stronghold known as the Cathedral of the Twin Gods. Lilith had instructed you that the Vault Hunters would meet you there before you began your assault. As you were inspecting all your gear, the sound of vehicles fast approaching sounded in the distance. A number of technicals stopped just outside the vicinity as you watched Atlas soldiers pile out and secure the area. Jack instinctively placed a few loader bots ahead between yourself and the soldiers as you surveyed the reinforcements. There was no sign of Rhys or Zer0 which you were happy about but you did notice four individuals that stuck out among the militant garb personnel. They were the Vault Hunters, the ones that we're here to stop the Great Vault from opening. Your eyes landed on one in particular, a tall gentleman with silvery-hair that instantly locked eyes with you.

“[Y/N]! Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes.”

Crossing your arms in front you stared down at the taller Vault Hunter who had made his way towards you, standing in front with one hand on his hip. 

“Zane Flynt. If I had known you were one of Lilith’s Vault Hunters I would have brought those extra bullets I owe you from the job on Hera.“

“Hoo! Still a bit hurt about losing that contract eh? I got to say though, you were pretty damn close weren’t yah.”

“Maybe. So you made a career change from assassin to vault hunting? Seems like a whole lot more work for less pay.”

“You know how it is. Was trying to lay low for a while but trouble always seems to find me. I hear you also got yourself in quite the spot of trouble too, though you did always keep questionable company."

Zane glanced over your shoulder to Jack who was standing behind you. 

“I’ll remind you that yourself is included in said company.”

“Far enough. I-”

“Zane! Let’s go! We are ready to start,” you could see a shorter woman in full Vladof militant gear yelling over the railings towards you. Zane turned to her and waved before turning back.

“Right,” Zane reached out a hand and placed it on your shoulder. ”You and I need to grab a drink when this is all over. So don’t you think about hiding from me.”

“Don’t think I could even if I tried.”

Zane gave you a quick wink before running off to regroup up his fellow Vault Hunter companions. Jack had already stepped beside you, his hands were folded across his chest as you could see him gritting his teeth. 

“I don’t recall giving anyone permission to touch what’s mine.”

“Relax Jack. Zane is just an old colleague. We used to fight over bounties back in the day.”

Looking over at him, his eyes were now narrowed onto you as you gave him a smirk. You knew it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to tease him for being jealous but you couldn’t help but chuckle to yourself that he was. As you watched from a distance, you could see the Atlas soldiers fall into formation as the Vault Hunters placed an explosive to the outer gate. Taking a step forward to join them, a strong hand grabbed your arm forcing you to turn back to Jack. His eyes never wandered from yours as his features took on a serious demeanor.

“Don’t leave my side for a second. You got that pumpkin?”

You gave him a sturdy nod as he released his grip on you. He smirked before placing a few commands into his watch making the loader bots sparking to life as they headed towards the main gate.

“Good. Let's go be god damn heroes.”

\--

A thunderous explosion shattered the entrance way as chaos erupted inside the inner walls of the fortress. The combined allies of the Crimson Raiders stampeded their way into the main courtyard as the sound of gunfire and screaming filled the air. You could feel your blood pump harshly through your veins as you witnessed the massacre before you. Mangled bodies and elemental explosions rained down upon the battlefield as casualties were behest on both sides. The destruction, the carnage, the exhilaration; All the sensations overtook you as the weighted gun in your hands felt light as a feather. Quickly aiming forward towards the enemy, you smirked before pulling the trigger.

Keeping to your word, you stayed within reach of Jack at all times. Taking cover behind a barricade you both continued to open fire on a line of psychos as they tried to intercept the rampaging forces of the Crimson Raiders. You could hear Jack beside you cackle whenever he would critically explode a bandit’s head clean off its shoulders which only made your smile grow wider. When a few psychos would get close, you were more than happy to pull out a combat knife, thrusting it upwards into their skills as you watched life fade from their eyes.

As the battle raged on, you could see that the C.O.V. numbers were beginning to dwindle as you began to clear a path towards the next area. Regrouping with the Vault Hunters, you had made your way to an adjacent storage building when the sound of fiery crackles filled the air. You watched as countless waves of bandits appeared out of fire raining from the sky. 

“Since when could they teleport?”

“Oh, I guess they forgot to mention that to yah. They got lots of those siren powers at their disposal,” Zane spoke up as he shot a nearby psycho with his pistol.

“Great,” you pondered for a moment at the aspect of the hordes never ending onslaught. ”You guys make your way through to the twins. Jack and I will hold the square.”

“You sure that’s a good idea boyo? ”

“You don’t need to worry about us,” Jack chuckled as pressed a button on his watch, sending another legion of loader bots to land before you. “We got this covered.”

Looking towards Jack, his face and clothes were already stained with blood but you could see his eyes were still bloodthirsty for more. Zane only nodded as he and the other Vault Hunters ascended their way further into the stronghold. Swiftly, Jack ordered the new loader bots into strategic positions as you ensure any bandit that even breathed in your direction was met with a bullet. Wave after wave you held your ground against the assault, no one stood a chance when you and Jack were on the field. 

A feral cry rang out across the courtyard as your attention snapped to its source. You spotted a muscular bandit with florescent purple-skin aim its hand forward as a laser of purple energy cut down several loader bots in front. Pivoting your gun towards him, you loaded a new clip into it as you continuously rained fire in its direction. You watched as another wave of purple energy expanded from his hands in front in the shape of a circle. For a second, you thought your ECHO eye from Jack might be faulty as it registered no successful hits on your target.

“What the hell.”

Jack’s turned to follow your gaze as his eye narrowed at the humongous psycho. Ordering two EXP Loaders onto the creature, they exploded on impact sending debris flying as smoke covered the area. Standing there patiently with your gun at the ready, you thought that would surely be enough to kill it until a purple glow could be seen within the cloud. 

“[Y/N] look out!”

Jack quickly dove towards you as you both fell to the ground. The deafening sound of laser shot filled the air as a large explosion erupted just behind you. Quickly he pulled you towards the nearest cover as the creature continued its rampage against the Hyperion bots. 

“Jack, what is that thing?”

“I don’t know cupcake but nothing good.”

As you watched from safety, you could see another wave of bots open fire at the bandit’s flank as it turned towards them. You watched as it produced the same purple aura from before that had stopped your bullets but this time you could see it clearly.

“It's a shield!”

“What?” Jack hissed as he placed more commands into his watch, sending more loader bots to assault the purple creature.

“It’s absorbing the damage with some sort of shield but it looks like it can only produce it in front of it. If I can get behind it then I could-”

“Oh no. I told you, you're not leaving my side.”

“We don’t have a choice Jack. One of us has to get behind it and you have a better chance of keeping its attention forward.”

“This isn’t up for negotiations sweetheart.”

“Jack please. Trust me?”

Jack gritted his teeth in anger as he held his head low. You could tell he was trying to think of another plan but you both knew that this was the only way.

“Make it quick. And don’t you dare get hurt.”

His voice was threatening as you placed a hand on his cheek. With a small kiss, you were off sprinting along the outer wall as the loader bots continued to keep up their assault on the beast. Once you had secured a new location on the other end of the battlefield, you saw Jack instruct the bots closer to him, allowing you an easy vantage point of the creature’s back. Aiming down your sights, you took a few deep breaths before unloading your clip into it. You could hear the impact of bullets riddle its skin as your ECHO eye registered the hits. As you looked up to celebrate your victory, you began to notice that the purple-skinned psycho didn’t collapse but rather it had now turned its full focus on you. 

Preparing another clip, you watched as I disappeared in front of your eyes before reappearing directly to your left as it swung down at your position. Quickly jumping away, it impacted the ground right where you once were with such strength that the earth beneath cracked at its might. It advanced towards you as you continued to dodge and weave through the heavy assault. As one arm swung over you, you barely avoided the attack by sliding underneath it. Out of breath, you skidded to a halt only to look up and see the creature looming over you. Energy began to collect in its palm as it brought its hand up towards your face. You found yourself unable to move, frozen knowing that there would be no way to dodge its attack from such close range. A frown crossed your face as you realized you were about to break your promise.

“I’m sorry Jack.”

Abruptly, an explosion filled the air as a fiery combustion engulfed the bandit. Shielding yourself, you waited to feel the heat lick your skin only to find a cold embrace enveloping you instead. Looking up, you could see the steel of a loader bot encasing you from the blast's effects. It let go of you as you stood before a now crystalized creature made of pure purple stone. 

It was over. Silence filled the air as you had successfully cleared out the main courtyard but as you looked past the now frozen psycho, you could see him. Covered head to toe in his enemies blood; breathing heavy as his eyes were filled with rage; with a large rocket launcher slung over his shoulder was Handsome god-damn Jack. You had never seen something so magnificent as you stared at him in awe. He was a living depiction of the countless statues and art displays created in his name, he was a hero. Quickly dropped the launcher to the floor, he began marching towards you with anger in his voice.

“Are you crazy [Y/N]. I told you not to get hurt. This is why I told you to stay beside me.” 

You couldn’t hear his ranting, your gaze was so transfixed on the man before you that everything else seemed to not exist except for his beautiful heterochromia eyes. Stopping before you, he clenched your arm tightly as he yanked you out of your daze. 

“Cupcake, are you even listening?”

Grabbing his jacket, you pulled him closer to you as you locked your lips with his. You could feel him instantly melt under your touch as he put his arms around you. Fighting for dominance, you clinged on to each other as if it was life and death. The thrills of all that had transpired had finally boiled over and all that was left was desire. Pulling away, you fought to catch the breath you had been holding as Jack looked at you with hooded eyes.

“It’s a good thing I have a hero looking out for me huh?” giving him a sly wink.

He gave you a small chuckle as he laid a few more light kisses on your skin. You stood there together in the middle of all the devastation as you felt the air shift. Looking up towards Elpis, you could see the purple stream of light that once tethered to it was now gone. They did it, the Vault Hunters actually defeated the twins, you thought. That was until the earth began to shake violently.

\--

Yourself and Jack had retreated back to Opportunity once the assault was over. The Crimson Raiders had informed you that they had indeed killed one of the twin gods but that they were too late to stop them from charging the vault key. While the Vault Hunters expressed that they were continuing on ahead to stop the vault from opening, Jack had determined that Hyperion had used too much of its resources during the siege to assist. 

It had been several hours since then as you stood in Jack’s office once more. Gazing out the window towards the enlarged Elpis that now hung in the sky. 

“So this is it. Never imagined that it wouldn't be me that wiped out this shit stain of a planet,” Jack commented as he stood beside you. 

“I guess so.“

What could you say? The world around you was crumbling as the Great Vault threatened to open. There wasn’t much you could do but wait as his arm wrapped around your waist.

“[Y/N] I want to thank you.”

“Jack, shouldn’t I be the one thanking you?”

“Just listen to me sweetheart. If it wasn’t for you I would still be locked away in some sock drawer but really you saved me in more ways than one. I spent years in hatred, planning my revenge on those who betrayed me, seeking a way to escape the darkness. But once I met you none of that seemed to matter anymore. At first I thought something must be wrong with me, how could I, Handsome Jack, not want to conquer all those who have crossed me. But you changed all that didn’t you? I mean you made me work alongside Lilith in a way. The person who should be my greatest threat.”

Pulling you closer, he turned you towards him as he looked longingly into your eyes.

“So even if this is the end I want you to know that you're everything to me. I won’t leave your side no matter what happens.”

Chuckling into his chest, you lifted an eyebrow towards him, “You know a simple 'I love you' would have sufficed.” 

“But what’s the fun in that?” he smirked.

A low rumbling shook the world as you both peered out the window to witness a bright light gulfed Elpis. Shielding your eyes briefly, you looked back only to gaze out in wonder as the emblem of the Firehawk now adorned on the moon’s surface.

\--

It had been a handful of months since the Crimson Raiders defeated the Calypso Twins and successfully stopped the Great Vault from opening. Word had spread of Lilith’s disappearance but they had assured you that your deal for helping during the assault would still be upheld. While you hadn’t heard anything from Rhys or Atlas since then, Zane had insisted that you guys share a night of drinks as a celebration and to catch up on stories though you found it hard to relax with Jack being so territorial over you the whole evening.

The construction of Helios II was well on its way as Jack had the original wreckage salvaged for parts, speeding up the time of its completion immensely. It wouldn’t be long now till it would be ready to at least launch the station to space where its development could be completed. Looking over a data pad on the newest construction report, you opened up the door to Jack's office when you noticed he had company. Standing at his desk was a familiar battle-gear chick with gradient neon hair.

“ Lorelei?”

“[Y\N] I-”

Her speech was interrupted when you embrace her tightly as she returns the gesture in kind. You both stood there in silence as you reflected on how long it has been since you last saw each other. 

“It's good to see you again.”

“You too. I figured it was time to come visit since the universe isn’t in constant peril for the moment.”

Taking a seat, you both began to converse like the days back at the coffeehouse while Jack fully ignored your presence. Lorelei informed you about all the things that had transpired on Promethea since your disappearance. She told you about how when she questioned Rhys of your whereabouts he would often brush them off or decline allowing her to search for you. When she found out the truth of his deception she stated plainly about how she beat the ‘ever loving shit’ out of him. Although you shared a laugh over Rhys's dismay, you could still see the regret in her eyes, stuck between two people she cared about. You assured her that you didn’t blame her for anything, Rhys's actions were his own and that nothing has changed between the two of you as she was still your closest friend. Lorelei dug through her bag as he pulled out and handed you an ECHO log. 

“Rhys wanted me to give this to you. I refused initially but I think you should decide if you want to hear it or not.”

Taking the log from her hands, you stared at it for a moment before thanking her. She smiled as she stood up, exchanging ECHO frequencies you promised to keep in touch as you said your farewells. Watching her leave, you looked back down at the log now clenched in your hands.

“You don’t have to listen to it if you don’t want to pumpkin. You don’t owe him anything.”

“Your right, I don’t.”

“Of course I’m right,” Jack placed down the paperwork he was previously inspecting as he approached you, “but you still want to hear it don’t you?”

You only gave a single nod as your gaze never shifted. Placing the ECHO log into your device, you could hear Rhys’s voice emerge from the speaker.

_[Y/N]_

_I figured you wouldn’t want to talk to me in person so I asked Lorelei to give you this message. I wanted to let you know that I won't be chasing you anymore. It's clear that you made your decision and it wasn’t with me._

_I’m sorry it turned out this way. I was so scared, so desperate but I see now that it would have happened this way no matter what I did and there is no way to bring you back to me._

_So this is goodbye [Y/N], I hope Jack will make you happier than I ever could._

_Rhys out._

Letting go of the device, it landed on the floor with a small thud as you stood there in shocked silence . Was it true? Was this the end? All those countless nights spent awake wondering when he would return were finally over? Wait, when did you start crying? Wiping the tears from your cheeks you began to chuckle at yourself.

“Fuck, I’m really a pathetic excuse of a bounty hunter aren’t I? Letting someone haunt me like this.”

Jack wrapped his strong arms around you as he pulled you into his chest. “He hurt you sweetheart. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel something afterwards.”

He always seemed to know just what you wanted to hear. That even though your experiences on Promethea might have left you scarred and broken, Jack wouldn’t change you in the slightest. Making sure that you learned from your missteps, grow stronger from your trials but also keeping you safe as he would always be there for you. As you stood within his embrace, you felt your breathing steady as you listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. No matter the difficulties you faced in the past, you couldn't be more thankful to have him in your life. You would relive it all again if it meant that you would always be at his side.

“I love you Jack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its complete. :)  
> Thank you all for your comments/kudos.  
> I spent a really long time thinking of how it should end but I think overall I still wanted it to be apart of the canon so I hope you enjoyed it none the less. 
> 
> Please let me know what your thoughts are and maybe one day I'll come up with another story to tell.


End file.
